


Refraction of Light

by UselessLilium (o0whitelily0o)



Category: Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ciel Verse, Eventual Romance, F/F, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Multiple, Undecided Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-01
Updated: 2017-04-07
Packaged: 2018-08-28 11:43:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8444518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/o0whitelily0o/pseuds/UselessLilium
Summary: A girl born with magic is a witch, and to use her magic a witch needs a partner. To follow this unbreakable rule of spell-casting, nine young girls must learn for themselves both what their magic means to them, and what kind of partnership they need to shine.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is a NaNoWriMo project, and as such I have little planned out beyond the next couple of chapters. This includes ships - I've tagged the ones I'm certain of, and while I'll update the rest once I reach that point, for now I'm afraid it's up in the air. It's also probably going to be rough around the edges, as any editing is gonna wait until after the month is up.
> 
> Also, this AU is set in 'Ciel: The Last Autumn Story', but it isn't necessary to read that manhwa to understand what's going on. It's pretty much just using the setting, not the plot, which I plan to explain along the way. (Though I do suggest reading it anyway.)

No matter how many times she dove in or how far she swam, the ocean never ceased to amaze Kanan. And with her field activated, she could watch the passing fish and glittering sunlight above for hours. She reached her hand up towards a bright, glittering yellow fish, but it swam up and over her personal magic bubble. It was funny, how none of the fish ever accidentally ran into it. They must be able to feel it instinctively, she supposed. Lucky for her. She could sit on the sand, or swim as much as she liked, and she’d never bother any of the sea life. She wasn’t disturbing anything or harming anyone. It was like she wasn’t even really here.

With a sigh, Kanan rubbed at her eyes. Her body was starting to feel heavy - that meant time was up. She stood, and began her walk back up towards shore. Her steps barely left any indent on the stand, but it felt like she was dragging herself anyway. Maybe she overspent herself - Dia’s house was close, but if she wasn’t there... she might be in trouble. She really should have checked with Dia before going in, made sure she’d stay close by. But she hadn’t exactly planned to do this. It was just... Newton was so far from the ocean. She always missed it so much when she was away from it.

She felt it then, before she saw anything. A ripple in the water up ahead. Then someone running towards her, then wading as she got further and further into the water. Kanan felt a quick pang of guilt, and picked up her own pace, regardless of her exhaustion. 

Dia’s hand grabbed her wrist, pulling her up towards the air, and the bubble around her burst. All the water came rushing back towards her, soaking her completely.

“What were you thinking?” Dia shouted, continuing to haul her towards land. Kanan appreciated the help. She really did spend too long in her field. She felt like she could just collapse right here and let herself drift off with the waves. But just as she started to slow, Dia’s grip on her tightened and her pace picked up. “You’re going to have to change now, you can’t get on the train in wet clothes.”

Kanan tried to laugh. “You’re just as soaked as I am, you know.” 

Dia paused and looked down at herself, still knee-deep in the water. Then she huffed and kept leading them to the beach. “ _ Exactly _ my point. This was completely irresponsible of you!  _ Remarkably _ irresponsible! I’m just glad no one else is here to see your flagrant misuse of magic.”

“If it’s that big of a deal, you could have just waited until I got onto land before you pulled me out of my field. Then we’d both still be dry.” Dia glared over her shoulder and sniffed.

“You’re still the one who decided to go swimming in March. It’ll be a miracle we don’t spend our first week back at Lowood bedridden.”

As if to underscore her point, the wind picked up. Even Kanan had to shiver and admit it was freezing standing out here like this. “Alright, I get it. I’m sorry.” Dia raised an eyebrow, but Kanan smiled at her, “We’ve still got a couple of hours until the train ride. Let’s both hurry and dry off, before Chika or Ruby catch us like this.”

Her familiar’s expression didn’t soften much, but she nodded. “Of course. I won’t let you go setting a bad example for my sister. She, at least, should learn to use her magic responsibly.” Even with that decided though, Dia didn’t let go of her hand just yet. Kanan waited for her to say whatever else was on her mind. But really... she hoped it’d be quick. She was worn out to her bones from keeping her field open.

“Kanan...” she said, taking her hand in both of her own, “I mean it. You should really be more careful.”

At that, Kanan blinked, and looked at Dia a little harder. She looked paler than usual. Her shoulders were tense, her grip on her hands was almost shaking. Kanan swallowed, dropped her eyes to the ground.

“I  _ am _ sorry, Dia. I didn’t mean to scare you.” She put her free hand on Dia’s, giving them a small squeeze, and tried to meet her eyes. “Don’t worry, we’re partners, right? I’m not gonna go anywhere.”

Dia took a shaky breath, and then finally nodded. Just as Kanan started to smile, her head shot up and she was right back into stern leader mode. “Naturally! Now hurry and get changed.” She let go of Kanan’s hands to grab her by the shoulders and spin her towards her house. Kanan felt herself grimace in anticipation. Her parents wouldn’t be happy about this either, now that she thought about it. Dia gave her a small shove and started back towards her own place. “We’ll meet at the train station. I expect to see you at least half an hour before boarding!”

“Got it, got it.” She looked over her shoulder and gave Dia a small wave. Dia acknowledged it with a brief of her head, and stomped off as quickly as she could through the sand. Kanan sighed, rubbing at her head absently. Her familiar, as usual, had a good point. With how much her magic had worn her out, it’d be a miracle if she didn’t just sleep all the way through the train ride.

 

* * *

 

Of course, there was no amount of exhaustion yet that could beat Kanan’s sense of responsibility. And just like when Chika and You joined them last year, this year there was Ruby to look after. The poor girl had been jumping at every sound since they reached the train station. Kanan couldn’t blame her - their town may be small, but it wasn’t far from Marsden. The port city was always bustling, and even outside of summer there were plenty of people using this station as a stop along the way.

At least they managed to find a free bench. Kanan checked the clock up on the station wall. Five minutes until their train was supposed to arrive, and no sign of Chika or You. 

She heaved a sigh. Last year, Chika had been so excited, she’d gotten there earlier than any of them. Clearly that was a one-time thing.

Well... Kanan couldn’t really blame her for being less enthusiastic this time. Once the initial excitement of being taught about magic wore off, Lowood really wasn’t any different from a regular boarding school. And there was only so much magic that could be taught to a girl who hadn’t found their familiar yet. 

You hadn’t been able to find one either, but You was a bit more reasonable. She didn’t get discouraged as easily. Chika’s habit of giving up once she hit a roadblock was a bigger problem. And no matter how often Kanan had tried to reassure Chika that most girls didn’t find a partner right away, that it usually took time and work, and a lot of luck, she knew that wasn’t really comforting. Especially coming from someone who’d managed to find her own familiar as a kid, long before even going to Lowood. There was no way it wouldn’t ring pretty hollow.

She’d thought, of course, about asking whether Chika and You had tried working together, but always stopped short. No matter how close they were, a familiar was different from a friend. Kanan knew that very well. If Chika and You were meant to be partners, then they’d have to discover that on their own terms. And if they’d tried and failed, Kanan didn’t want to rub salt in the wound.

Kanan looked over at Dia again, who was busy explaining to Ruby exactly how long it would take to reach Newton, and what exactly she’d be expected to do for her entrance exam. Kanan stifled a giggle at the memory of their own first day. No matter how often it was called an ‘exam’, Kanan really couldn’t think of it as anything other than a kind of cruel prank. It wasn’t like they ever got graded on it, after all. The older students sure did love throwing the freshman into the deep end... hopefully Ruby wouldn’t get scared off by it.

Finally, they could all hear it. The train whistle rang out and the tracks started to rumble with it’s approach. Kanan looked back towards the entrance again. Still no sign, they were really cutting it too close...

“Alright, Ruby,” Dia said, standing up straight and holding her suitcase in front of her, looking every bit the model of a mayor’s daughter. “Do you have everything you need? Your bag? Your ticket?” Ruby nodded, her pigtails bobbing furiously from the force of it. 

“Y-yeah, I’ve got everything.” She fidgeted, “But, um, shouldn’t we wait for-?”

Kanan patted her shoulder. “It’s alright, I’m sure they’ll be here soon. You and Dia go save some seats for us, and I’ll wait here for them. I might be able to convince the conductor to wait a little longer if they really don’t-” 

“Hi! Hey! We’re here, don’t leave,  _ don’t leave! _ ”

Just like that, Chika burst onto the platform, waving her satchel around wildly, You following behind her and offering quick apologies to a couple Chika nearly hit. Kanan breathed a quick sigh of relief. She’d been worried, but if Chika could still be that enthusiastic, she was probably alright. 

“Sorry, sorry,” Chika said, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. “I forgot how far the walk is from my house.”

Dia loomed over her before Kanan could get a word in. “There will be time for apologies once we’re all safely on the train. Now hurry up, all three of you.” And then, nose in the air, she shepherded Ruby on board.

Kanan grinned, putting her hands on her hips. “You heard her, let’s hurry.” Chika and You shared a quick, guilty look, and headed through the doors. With that taken care of, Kanan couldn’t stifle a yawn any longer. She hefted her own suitcase up and headed inside. The car wasn’t too crowded - with five of them and the seats in arranged with two pairs facing each other, they couldn’t all sit in a neat group. Even so, Chika and You managed to snag a booth behind Ruby, where they could all keep an eye on each other. Dia kept the space next to her open, and gestured for Kanan to sit next to her.

Just enough room for two people to sit comfortably. Ruby looked a little nervous about having the empty space next to her, but when Kanan started to offer to swap, the look Dia gave her cut her off. It was probably best for Ruby to get used to being on her own, it was true. She wouldn’t have any of them to help her out for the entrance exam, and then she’d have to dorm with strangers. Thinking about it now, Kanan frowned a little. At least Chika and You’d were able to look after each other last year; Dia had explained what was going to happen alright, but maybe she should give her some extra advice? But...

Kanan yawned again, and without really thinking started leaning again Dia. She could barely keep her head up. Even if she tried to say something, she just wasn’t sure she could get her thoughts straight. The last thing Ruby needed was to be confused on top of being nervous..

The train whistle blew again, and the train finally started to move. Ruby jumped and held onto the seat cushion, wide-eyed and pale. Chika poked her head up over the seat behind her.

“It’s so cool, isn’t it?” She grinned, “It’s totally different from a carriage or boat.”

Ruby blinked up at her, and stammered out, “Y-y-yeah, I hadn’t r-realized... it’s, um, s-supposed to be like th-this?”

“Yeah! Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it fast. And then we’ll be in Newton before you know it!”

“That’s right.” You popped up next to her, giving a salute and winking. “From here on, it’s full speed ahead to Newton!” Ruby managed to smile a little, and mirrored the salute.

“F-full speed ahead!”

Kanan smiled a little as she watched the two of them help ease Ruby into a chat. She thought, for just a second, about Mari. About riding the train together, all three of them. Going to school together. Visiting the town. Sharing a dormitory.

But as her eyes started to close, she pushed the thought aside. There were pairs everywhere. Couples, seats, and witches too. It’s just how it’s supposed to be, how being a witch  _ works _ . Dia was her familiar, and she was Dia’s, and there was never anything the three of them could’ve done to change that.

That’s why... it was for the best.

Kanan felt herself drifting off, in spite of the train’s noise and the conversation across from her. Dia shifted besides her, helping them both settle into a more comfortable position. Before she gave up to her exhaustion, she covered Dia’s hand in her own, and hoped with all her heart that Mari was happy right now.


	2. Chapter 2

Despite how nerve-wracking the train ride was, with all the strangers and frequent unexpected sounds, Ruby’s excitement was starting to shine through her anxiety. After all, for the last two whole years, she’d wanted nothing more than to hurry up and start going to Lowood. It had been really lonely not having her older sister around for most of the year, but even more than that, every time she heard about Lowood she couldn’t help imagining it as an amazing, magical place. It _had_ to be a place fitting for witches and sorcerers, after all.

Newton approached quickly outside, and Ruby watched the skyline draw closer and closer with anticipation. Even though their mother’s family was well-known for their magic ability, Dia stood out as a prodigy regardless. Learning how to open her field so young, without any professional training, was practically unheard of. It even got the attention of Royal Blue Union. For the capital’s academy to send a recruiter all the way out to their tiny little town... Ruby had never been in more awe of her sister. But Dia had turned them down and insisted on attending Lowood instead, as generations of her family had before her.

Ruby really was grateful for that. She wasn’t sure if she could’ve handled coming to live at a boarding school all by herself. Chika and You would have been here, sure, but it wasn’t really the same. They both seemed nice and fun, but Ruby didn’t know either that well. Mostly just through Kanan, and only having her sister’s familiar’s friends around just wouldn’t be very comforting.

Once the train reached the station, they had to move quickly. There were a lot of students arriving, and they all needed carriages to reach the school in time for the exam. Ruby knew Newton was big, but it was only now really hitting her how true that was. She felt grateful for Dia’s choice all over again - she could already imagine herself silently shrinking back into the crowd, without anyone to speak up for her. The way things were, Dia and Chika practically had to leap in front of a carriage to claim it for their group.

But the ride itself was very nice. Ruby couldn’t help staring at everything they passed by, especially with the other girls pointing out their own favorite spots.

“The park’s beautiful - it’s _huge_ , with all kinds of flowers and trees. There’s even a lake!” You said, grinning and leaning over to whisper to her, “They get mad at you if you try to swim in it, though, even in the summer.”

“Oh, don’t forget, that bakery over there by the church is the best in town,” Chika said, tapping at the window, “Their sweet buns are almost as good as our inn’s. _And_ they let you take their day-old stuff in exchange for helping out sometimes!”

Kanan sighed. “You wouldn’t need to get free food if you were more careful with your money.” But she smiled fondly at Chika’s sheepish expression, and turned back to Ruby to remind her, “The streets are very complicated, though. You need to be careful to bring a map when you go out, at least until you get used to them. And even though it’s not very dangerous during the day, you should be careful to stay in groups for now.”

Ruby nodded. Dia had already explained both the overly complicated nature of Newton’s layout, and the likelihood of demons. Somehow, they seemed to fit each other. The whole place already felt a little surreal - tall residence buildings with doors that didn’t align with the street, bridges that were nowhere near the river, thick plants sprouting up through cracks in brick buildings. Like kind of a fairy tale setting. Ruby had never seen a demon before, it was hard to really imagine them existing outside of a story, but in a city like this it was a little easier to believe.

Of course, despite her gawking, she really wasn’t planning on going out by herself much anyway. It was a lot of fun to look at everything when she was safe and sound in a carriage with a bunch of people, and the city was definitely everything she’d hoped to see, but just thinking about walking around through all those towering buildings alone was way too scary. That demons might be lurking around just made it definitely, totally impossible.

Though once the carriage pulled up to Lowood, Ruby couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed after how exciting the city had been. It was a much bigger school than she’d ever seen, but compared to all the shops and boutiques around, the actual building was so plain. All drab gray walls and simple, uniform windows. There was a high wall all around the property, too, casting everything in shadow and making it look like it wasn’t part of the city at all.

Ruby fidgeted a little in her seat. She was going to be living in a place like that all by herself... no, worse. She was going to be surrounded by strangers the whole time. How was she ever going to sleep?

As the carriage slowed to a stop, Chika bounded out right away.

“Geeze, those rides never get any shorter,” she pouted, reaching her arms back over her head to stretch them out.

You rolled her eyes good-naturedly and stepped out after her. “Well there is only one route, you know.” She turned back to smile and give Ruby a short wave. “Good luck with the test! If you finish before lunch, we’ll meet you in the dining hall and celebrate.”

Ruby managed to smile and nod her head, despite her nerves.

“And if not,” Chika said, turning back around to grin at her, “We’ll sneak you something later. You have my word as your cool and trustworthy upperclassman!” Dia snorted and shoved her towards the school.

“A trustworthy upperclassman would be a good role model. To start, you should get yourself signed in and unpacked _promptly_.”

“Yes, yes, Miss Princess.” Chika grabbed her suitcase and waved one more time before she and You headed into the school. Kanan patted Ruby’s shoulder before picking up her and Dia’s luggage.

“Don’t worry about a thing. Just stay calm, and it’ll all go fine.”

“Y-yeah.” She shuffled her shoes a little, tugging at the end of her sleeves. Everything would be okay. Dia told her exactly what was gonna happen, so it wasn’t really scary at all.

Still, Dia must have noticed her hesitance, because she smiled at her and gave her a quick, tight hug. “We’ll all be waiting for you afterwards. Remember that, and do your Rubesty.”

At the use of her old good-luck charm, Ruby couldn’t help but giggle. She nodded and smiled back as her sister pulled away. “I will. I’ll see you all soon.”

 

* * *

 

 Right, she told herself, while she was grouped together with a bunch of other new potential students and herded off into one of the classrooms. Everything would be okay. It wasn’t scary at all, being stuck with dozens and dozens of strangers. It wasn’t scary when the teacher told them that they were going to be brought to a maze under the river. And it _definitely_ wasn’t scary when they were all told every half hour, half of the rooms in the maze would be flooded until there was only one left.

Ruby just repeated that to herself, even though before she knew it, she and everyone else were left in the first room of the glass maze. She could see all the water on the ceiling, with light shimmering on top of it. She took a deep breath, and reminded herself of what Dia had said over and over.

It wasn’t actually real. This was a trick that the freshman were put through every year, to see if any of them got scared off. The maze was real, and some of the water was too, but no one was _really_ at risk of getting drowned. All she had to do was either wait until she got caught on the flooded side and look for the way out then, or get someone to help her push the ceiling open.

The latter would definitely be quicker, but as Ruby looked around at the group surrounding her, she knew speaking up would be impossible. It looked like everyone else believed what the teacher said - they were all tearing off down the paths in all directions, some yelling and pushing others out of the way. Ruby shrunk in on herself. No one would listen to her, she just knew it.

Then, someone put a hand on her shoulder and said, “Hey, it’s okay.”

Ruby practically jumped out of her skin at the sudden voice. With a yelp, she jerked away, only to be met by a girl smiling softly at her. Amazingly, she seemed perfectly unfazed even at Ruby’s extreme - and extremely _loud_ , she realized as her face turned red - reaction. The girl just drew her hand back and said, “Sorry, I didn’t mean t’ spook you. But it’s not safe to stay here, right? We should all get goin’.”

It was really kind of amazing, how serene the girl was acting. Ruby knew the trick, and even she couldn’t be that composed. Maybe this person would actually listen? She swallowed the lump in her throat, and said, “U-um, actually... it’s not really... I mean, w-we don’t actually have to...”

As her stammering got more and more incoherent, Ruby had to look down. Her whole face felt hot, and her eyes were starting to prick. This was so embarrassing... even with someone who’d probably listen, even about something that’d help them both, her tongue got all twisted and nothing came out right at all.

Then the girl ducked her head down too, to look Ruby in the eye. “Are you trying to tell me something important?” Ruby stiffened, then nodded quickly and vehemently. The girl stood back up straight. “Okay then. Don’t worry about me, I’ll wait until you’re ready.”

...Okay. Ruby took a few deep breaths, and tried to focus. No matter how nervous she was, it had to be way worse for this girl. Considering that as far as she knew, everything they’d been told was the truth, she was really brave to offer to wait. So... so Ruby had to say something to help her. No matter how silly she looked, bright red and stammering. Letting out one last breath, Ruby made herself look up.

“A-actually, my b-big sister goes to this school t-too. She’s done this b-before, and told me about it.” The girl’s eyes widened a bit, but she didn’t interrupt.  “She said that... that the water isn’t real. Not all of it. Just enough to s-scare people. It goes up to about your waist, but the rest is just fake so no one in the regular rooms can tell what’s going on.”

“I see... I thought it was weird that it’d be so dangerous just to get in. I hear there’s fewer and fewer magicians each year, y’know?” The girl nodded to herself, and started to smile more brightly. “Yep, that makes way more sense! Thanks for telling me, that’s real reassuring.”

At the earnest thanks, Ruby felt herself tearing up again, and smiled back. “I-it’s nothing. I mean, you’d have found out eventually, probably.”

“Sure, but the sooner the better, right?” The girl said, looking around at all the glass hallways, “Though I guess it doesn’t really tell us how to get out.”

Ruby shook her head. “It’s okay. We’ve just gotta wait until we get caught in the water. Dia said that all the flooded rooms connect back up, so we can just walk around until we find the exit.”

“Dia’s your sister?”

“Yeah! And, um,” Ruby felt her face heating up, and she had to look down as she managed to get out, “M-my name’s Ruby. Kurosawa. It’s nice to meet you.”

When she looked back up, the girl was nearly beaming from ear to ear. “Nice to meet you too, Ruby. I’m Hanamaru Kunikida.” She held out a hand, and Ruby took it to shake. But then Hanamaru didn’t let go, and started pulling her out towards one of the hallways. “Well, even if we have to wait until we get flooded, we may as well start looking anyway. The exit won’t be in the room we started in, probably.”

Ruby couldn’t help feeling a little bemused. Hanamaru... when she was so patient, she’d reminded Ruby of Kanan a little. But she really was a little strange. Still, when Hanamaru looked over her shoulder with such a big smile, Ruby couldn’t help but smile back and pick up the pace so they could walk side by side instead. She didn’t let go of her hand. “Yeah, probably.”

But even knowing what was coming, it wasn’t exactly easy. With the first half-hour up, the glass walls slammed down with a huge crash, and the water came pouring in. It was murkier than Ruby expected, considering how bright and clear it looked from below. But if the other kids saw them just walking through the water like normal, then that’d give the whole thing away way too fast. Also, it was really, _really_ cold. It was March, sure, but couldn’t fake water be any temperature the witch creating it wanted?

“It’s kinda scary after all, huh?” Hanamaru said, looking over at her as the water came up to their knees, and kept flooding in. Ruby forced a smile.

“Mm hmm... we should k-keep moving. We don’t want to be stuck in the cold for too long.”

“Oh hey, I’ve read about a kind of trick for getting through mazes.” Hanamaru held up her free right hand. “It’s not the quickest way, but as long as you keep a hand on the right wall and follow it no matter what, you can’t get lost. That way, you can’t repeat your steps by accident, and eventually you’ll find the exit.”

Ruby gaped. “R-really? That’s amazing!”

Now, it seemed, was Hanamaru’s turn to look kind of bashful. “I mean, it’s not like it’s the quickest way or anything, but...”

“It’s still amazing,” Ruby insisted, “I’d never have even thought of that.” Hanamaru muttered something that sounded modest, but she led the way forward confidently enough, one hand on the wall and the other still holding onto Ruby’s.

The water kept rising, but just like Dia told her, once it hit their waists, even if it looked like it was getting higher, there was no more sensation of cold or wet. Once it got over their heads, they were still able to breath just fine, even if it was a little harder to see what was ahead of them. Ruby and Hanamaru caught each others’ eyes and started to giggle a little.

As they made their way out, they spotted over students who’d gotten stuck too, and they started to follow along the same path. Everyone was looking relieved, and a lot were starting to laugh and crack jokes about it. Eventually, someone - a girl, it sounded like - shouted, “Behold, oh lost and desperate lambs! The gateway to thy salvation is up ahead!”

Ruby couldn’t help but want to get a look at whoever was bold enough to say something like that so loudly, but it was just too murky and too crowded. She and Hanamaru made their way up a flight of stairs with the rest of the new students, leading up and out to an empty classroom. One last affirmation that they’d been wandering through an illusion. A few older students were waiting for them, and gave them all a quick round of applause that Ruby just couldn’t take as sincere.

“Congratulations on making it out alive!” One of them, a boy, said, grinning and waving them all towards the next set of rooms, “Last chance to back out - but if you guys think you can handle more scares like that, there’s towels and new uniforms waiting for you. Welcome to Lowood.”

She and Hanamaru had to split up here to get changed. Ruby didn’t waste any time at all drying herself off and pulling on the dark green dress and white collar. Just like the one she’d insisted Dia bring back to show her, when she returned for her first summer vacation. Since it was a private stall, she couldn’t help giving it an experimental twirl. The skirt fluttered and billowed out, and she couldn’t help a giddy little laugh as the reality hit her.

So what if the building was scary and she hardly knew anyone? She was really going to be a witch! Just like Dia, and just like her hero. Flapping her hands at her dress to smooth it back down, she straightened up and headed back out into the hall. By then, one of the teachers was there and showed them to their dormitory. All freshman were to sleep in rooms of either five or six, until they found their familiars and were allowed to move into a double. Ruby wilted a little when she looked for Hanamaru in her group and couldn’t find her. Maybe that was too much to hope for.

Well! There were gonna be a lot of new people to meet in her year! She held herself as straight and confident as she could manage. Maybe she could make friends with her roommates too! From a quick scan, though, everyone was looking just as awkward as her. Even this one girl with really pretty long, dark hair wasn’t looking at anyone and seemed to be hiding her face. The teacher didn’t really do anything to break the ice either, and just left them to unpack their things in tense silence.

Ruby threw everything haphazardly into the drawers of the little side table next to her bed, and shoved her suitcase underneath, and bolted out of the room as soon as she could. It was just... too hard to even breath in that kind of atmosphere. Hopefully classes would help everyone warm up... if she had to be the one to approach anyone, they’d never manage to talk to each other.

 

* * *

 

Even though noon was long past, everyone from town was waiting for her, just like they said they would. She got a round of congratulations from everyone, including an enthusiastic hug from Chika and pat on the head from Kanan and a bunch of compliments from You over how her uniform suited her. Dia kept smiling at her the whole time, even though she was firm on everyone getting back to their duties once they were finished.

The older students didn’t have classes the first day either, but they did have chores to help get things ready for the new school year. Ruby didn’t mind, exactly. If it were just Dia and Kanan, she probably would’ve liked for them to stay longer, but she was a little too tired after everything to keep up with Chika and You’s energy levels.

On her way back to the dorm to figure out how to spend the rest of the day while everyone was busy (there was supposed to be a good library, maybe she could find that), Ruby noticed the school gardens. Dia had said they were nice, if a bit rough around the edges. She only took a few seconds to decide to cut through. Maybe to someone as refined as Dia it looked rough, but the trees and high hedges and flowers just looked soothing to Ruby. There were even some stone benches to sit on. It was so secluded, this’d be a really great place to come and calm down if she needed it.

Just as she decided that was enough wandering and she should be heading back, she spotted someone sitting on a bench, reading quietly to herself. Hanamaru. Ruby’s heart leapt into her throat, and she couldn’t decide whether to interrupt or not. But she must have been making a little too much noise anyway with her pacing, because Hanamaru looked up from her book and gave a surprised smile. “Oh, Ruby! Hello, I didn’t think I’d see you before classes.”

Ruby flushed and dropped her eyes. “S-sorry. Am I bothering you?”

“Not at all - please sit down.” Hanamaru patted the bench next to her, and Ruby did as requested with a big relieved smile.

“I actually tried to find you before,” she admitted, “But I didn’t know which room you were in. Sorry...”

But Hanamaru just stared at her blankly and said, “...You did? Really?”

Ruby flinched a bit at the complete last of comprehension from the girl she thought she’d befriended. “Eh? Of... of course I did. Should I not have...?”

All at once, understanding seemed to hit her, and Hanamaru shook her head furiously, eyes shining. “No! Not at all, I’m happy you did! It’s just... I thought you’d be busy with your sister and your friends.” She was smiling, but she looked away. Somehow, she seemed more nervous than she’d been in the maze. “I didn’t... think you’d want to hang out with me.”

...Oh. Ruby blinked, genuinely taken aback by the statement. Before, Hanamaru had seemed so calm and self-assured, a little like Kanan. But... it seemed like maybe the two of them weren’t that different after all. It didn’t seem like either of them were used to making friends.

So like in the maze, Ruby decided that, for Hanamaru’s sake, she’d do her best to be confident instead. To reassure her. “I do,” she said, practically begging her voice not to waver, “And I- I actually was really hoping we could be friends. If you want to.”

Hanamaru stared at her for a few seconds, then slowly let a huge smile take over her face. “I’d love that. Thank you so much!”

“Oh, no, you don’t have to thank me-” Her momentary courage over, her bashfulness hit back in full force. Ducking her head so she could hide behind her bangs, Ruby tried to turn the attention to the book in Hanamaru’s hands. “So, um, do you mind if I ask what you’re reading?”

She shook her head. “Not at all - it’s actually a collection of fairy tales. Here, let me show you my favorite one...”

Ruby beamed, and leaned in closer to take a look. As Hanamaru read it out loud, Ruby tried to commit everything about this day to memory. To help herself believe that she hadn’t just stumbled into a fairy tale of her own.


	3. Chapter 3

Leave it to school to take all the magic out of... well, magic. Chika kicked her legs underneath her desk in a quickening tempo to keep herself awake as the teacher droned on and on yet again about the history of magicians. It was all just review, she could just sleep right through and not miss a thing. They only had a couple of months off in the winter. Chika knew that she wasn’t the best at studying, but even for her, that wasn’t enough time to forget the important stuff.

She remembered going to a regular school, where you got a nice long vacation in summer and then a few weeks in winter. And sure, out on the coast that summer break was usually spent helping out at home when all the travellers started coming through, and the fisherman started to congregate. But there was still warm sunlight and a beautiful sea to swim in and long days to enjoy. All gone, thanks to Lowood. This school was, technically, a government building. The students were all, technically, civil servants. So they all had to follow the schedule of government officials instead. The year started in March when new students were recruited, they got a couple of weeks off in summer, and a longer break in winter. The worst time of the year to spend at the beach.

It was probably just so they didn’t have to pay for heating the whole time, Chika thought with a pout. Everyone who worked at the school was always worrying about budget this, budget that. Even this class, right now, was only review so that the teacher didn’t have to worry about using her spare time putting together a lesson plan while all the paperwork for new students still had to be finished.

Dia had explained all _that_ in _exhausting_ detail pretty much the second Chika opened her mouth to complain..

Chika sighed, slumping down onto her desk to hide behind her notebook. Last year, everything had seemed so special. She’d never have even imagined, as a kid, growing up to find out she was a witch. When they were kids, Chika used to beg Kanan to open her field and show off her magic. She didn’t give in every time, but when she gave in, it felt like the air around her changed. Chika couldn’t see her field, of course. That was something only Dia could do. But she _could_ feel it. And somehow, even though her magic was invisible, intangible, it still felt like Kanan was shining when she used it. The ocean would part around her, and when she got far enough down it would cover her and Chika could see Kanan, just below the surface, laughing and waving up at her.

Sometimes Mari Ohara would watch too, now that she thought about it. She’d clap excitedly alongside Chika and wave back. Once she even jumped into the water to try and join Kanan in her little bubble. She’d been wearing some big lacy dress, and Dia had gotten so upset. Chika stifled a giggle at the memory. Her whole face had turned bright red as she scolded the two of them over it.

Back then, there hadn’t seemed to be anything more dazzling in the world than magic. So the thought that she might have it herself never even crossed her mind.

 _"Miss Takami._ ”

Chika bolted upright in her seat. “Yes?”

The teacher stared at her, tapping her pointer against the palm of her hand. “Please answer the question.”

“Ah - yes. The question. The question, which could be answered, along the lines of...”

As she hemmed and hawed, at the next desk You turned her notebook towards her. Chika glanced down at the page she was pointing at. ‘What was the name of the world’s first mage?’

Oh! Even she knew that one. She straightened back up and with a huge grin, said, “Honoka Kousaka!”

“Correct. But can you name the fellowship she led-”

She puffed her chest out, hands on her hips. “The Nine Muses! Their names were Umi, Kotori, Hanayo, Rin, Maki, Eli, Nozomi, Ni-”

“Yes, yes, very well done,” the teacher said with a flat expression, eyeing her closely. But Chika didn’t falter or blink. She knew the muses like the back of her hand! Finally, the teacher sighed and turned back to the board. “Yes, that is correct. Honoka Kousaka was humanity’s first mage. There is no documented explanation for how she unlocked her power, but legend says that she impressed the leader of the three Arc Dragons with her tenacity and ingenuity, and was taught magic as a special blessing from her. What is documented is that she then passed her knowledge and training on to her life-long companions, Umi and Kotori, and then to six other young heroes of the realm. Together, they became-”

As she continued droning on, Chika quickly wrote down ‘Thanks, I owe you’, and showed the page to You. Her friend replied with a wink and a thumb’s up, and Chika smiled.

Naturally, You being scouted as a witch was no surprise. She could do _anything_. Even way back when they were little, it was already like she was always carrying around with her own personal light. When she heard back from the recruiter that visited their town, Chika had been thrilled, but it really felt more like a confirmation than anything. Just one final piece of evidence that You was one of the special people.

She looked back down at her notebook, doodling aimlessly. Maybe the recruiter had made a mistake, thinking she was a witch.

 _No_ , she shook her head. She couldn’t start thinking like that. Besides, she definitely had a field. If nothing else, she knew that for sure. They’d all worked at opening them last year, when they were too new and unstable to be dangerous. Of course, that also meant they couldn’t be used for magic either. So Chika didn’t have any idea what kind of magic she actually had either. But at least it was _there_. It could be used some day.

Her pencil paused. She looked over at You again, who caught her eye and gave her a small wave. Chika waved back, then looked back at her notebook.

She remembered, towards the end of last fall, when more and more of the girls in their year formed their pairs and moved on to practical lessons. The two of them had wound up the only ones left in their dorm, and had to move into another one to save on space.

“That’s good, isn’t it? It was getting a little lonely with how empty the room is now,” You had said, laughing and slinging an arm over her shoulders. Chika had tried to smile, to agree, but. It was hard. You must have noticed, because she grinned and squeezed her closer and said, “Hey, don’t worry. We’re still in this together, right?”

Chika’s stomach twisted just remembering that. You shouldn’t have to hold herself back, just because _she_ was failing at being a witch. After all, You was _always_ popular. If she really wanted to, she could find a familiar in no time. Just about anyone would agree to partner with her, probably. She could even remember overhearing a few girls giggling and making bets on which one of them might be able to become her partner someday. And You was so friendly with everyone too. The only reason she hadn’t gotten a familiar yet had to be she just didn’t want Chika to feel bad about being the last one.

When the class let out, Chika asked You to go on ahead. There was only one cure for feeling this down - a good, long walk. So what if there was a magic class next? It was just gonna be more review. Besides, if she felt bad the whole time, she wouldn’t be able to pay attention anyway. And... well, if she waited until the break, You might ask to come with her. Right now she just wanted to be alone and think for a little while, and she didn’t want to hurt You’s feelings by explaining that to her so baldly 

The grounds weren’t exactly well-patrolled. It was all up to the upperclassmen and teachers to keep an eye out, and right now most of them were in class. What few students who weren’t didn’t care enough to stop her, or were skipping out themselves. With a jump and a shimmy, Chika climbed up one of the trees in the garden, close enough to the surrounding wall to jump onto it and let herself down the other side. There was no such way to get back in, but if she just looked confident enough coming back, the gatekeeper would just assume she’d been sent on an errand and not report her. She had this whole plan down!

...Of course, the teachers would notice she hadn’t been in class, she thought with a wince, but she wouldn’t get scolded as badly if they just thought she’d been laying around the dorm or something. Especially not during review week. They may not even bother, if they were particularly swamped with work.

“Anyway!” She said to herself, pumping her fist into the air, “Chika’s great expedition begins... here!” Grinning, she pointed down a random street and followed it. Newton was a real mess, even for a big city. The layout had been decided by multiple people over the years of its construction, and most of it depended on making things look good to outsiders. Popular shopping areas and part-time houses for the wealthy were all kept neat and tidy, in tip-top shape.

But for the people who had to lived there and walk around regularly, it was dizzying. The blocks were all different sizes, the buildings were different styles and shapes even along the same street, and roads that looked perfectly normal would suddenly stop dead or turn you right around without realizing.

In other words, it was a place where thinking too rigidly and trying to reason everything out was totally pointless. Chika thought it was so much fun.

She walked down the streets in no particular order, just going with what felt right or seemed most interesting. Even though she’d been all over this city the last year, it still felt like there was more to find. Some of the residents noticed her, and a few waved and greeted her. Usually with variations of, “Skipping class already, Miss Takami?”

She grinned and answered back, “Just couldn’t wait to say hi again!” And with a wave, she turned down another side street.

Still, as the sun climbed higher into the sky, she felt her stomach starting to rumble. Without money, she couldn’t exactly buy lunch. Her sisters usually sent her an allowance with their letters, but that wouldn’t be for another week or two. Maybe she should’ve waited until after she grabbed something from the dining hall... no, no, she just had to find her favorite bakery. Marisol was easy enough to find once the church bells started ringing - you could hear those all throughout the city. She just had to wait for the hour to strike, and...

Sure enough, right at noon, they began to ring out clear and deep. Chika picked up the pace and headed towards them. Better to get as close as she could before they stopped. A left turn, two rights, and over the bridge. When the park was in view, Chika felt everything realign. She knew exactly how to get to Marisol from here. Maybe they’d let her snack before cleaning up for them, if she asked nicely.

So caught up in these thoughts, that she almost ran right past her. If it hadn’t been for the wind blowing leaves into her face, she might not have slowed down long enough to see at all.

But she did.

And she saw a girl standing on the edge of the lake.

In the wind, her long blue skirt and dark-red hair were whipped around in a way that was impossible to miss. As it settled, the girl’s hair shone burgundy under the sunlight. Chika found herself thinking that she’d never seen hair that pretty before.

But, even more than her looks, there was something... a little strange about this girl. For one, what was she doing just staring at the lake? And her face was more than just pale - it looked a little grey even. Her hands were grabbing the front of her skirt so tight, Chika could see them shaking even from this distance.

And her eyes... they were such a warm, pretty gold color, but they had dark bags under them and looked so... lost.

Before she could think twice, Chika walked right up to her to tap her on the shoulder. “Um, excuse me-” the girl jumped, whipped her head around, and yeah, her eyes looked a little shiny and wet, big warning light there - “You’re not from around here, are you?”

She blinked, then looked down. “I... no, I’m not.”

“Are you looking for something? It’s super easy to get lost around here, especially if it’s your first time.”

The girl didn’t say anything at first, but smoothed down the part of her skirt she’d been clinging to and took a trembly breath. “...I don’t know. I just came here on a whim. I didn’t really have a plan.”

Talking seemed to be helping her calm down a little. Chika smiled. She could keep that up, at least! “Oh, so a vacation, then? Where are you from?”

“Sierra.”

Chika clapped her hands together. “Seriously? You came all this way from the capital? That’s amazing! Oh, but...” She tilted her head. “Isn’t it a really long ride, even by train? You must’ve left early.” The girl still didn’t look up at her, just got this awful, tense look on her face. Okay, so asking about where she came from was a bad idea right now. Instead... “Have you had any lunch yet? I was just on my way, we can go together.”

That got her to look back up. “I- I’m fine, I don’t need to-”

But even just the mention of food must’ve done the job. The girl’s stomach rang out in a way that totally jarred with her delicate looks. Her face turned bright red, but Chika just smiled. “C’mon, you could walk around for hours without finding a restaurant if you’re not careful. I promise, the bakery I was going to is a really nice place.”

The girl still looked hesitant, but then finally nodded. “Alright... if you’re sure.”

“Of course I am!” She beamed. “I’m Chika Takami, by the way.”

Finally, the girl started to smile a little bit. “Riko Sakurauchi. A pleasure.”

“Riko, huh? That’s such a cute name!” Chika said, and at her new friend started to deny it, she turned on her heel, “C’mon, Marisol is just this way! They’ve got plenty of delicious things, I bet even the capital can’t match up to them.”

“O-okay,” Riko said, following after her. Chika tried not to think too much about why Riko might be here. It was something that was upsetting her really badly, that much she could tell. She didn’t want to get too curious, or she might wind up blurting something out without thinking. She was pretty good at that.

So instead, as they walked through the city, Chika regaled her with a miniature tour, pointing out all the things of personal interest she’d run across her first year. A corner building where the nicest old lady lived, who knew all of Newton’s history and was always looking for new people to share it with. An alley that had some of the prettiest flowers growing in it, because by the time they got big enough to be a problem, no one in the neighborhood wanted to uproot them any more. A shortcut that led directly to the biggest market street, as long as you didn’t mind walking past a creepy abandoned lot where a house had burned down a few years ago.

It was a lot of babbling, though she kept checking back on Riko to see if she was listening or if she was just getting bored. Riko seemed to be paying close attention, smiling whenever she looked back at her and asking questions for details Chika couldn’t always remember. It looked like she liked the distractions.

Chika was relieved. Anything to get that shadowy look off her face.

Finally, they reached Marisol. Chika stopped with a hop, and turned around to Riko brandishing her arms as impressively as she could imagine. “And here we are!”

This time, both of their stomachs growled as the scent of cakes and warm bread hit full force. Riko turned a little red again, but managed to hang onto that lady-like composure and asked, “Do you often eat here?” as Chika hurried to hold the door for her and wave her inside. The whole air inside felt warm and comfortable, like being wrapped in a blanket. And there were so many kinds of bread - sweet, savory, loafs, special shapes and sizes.

Chika took a deep breath, and beamed as she stepped up to the display case. “I try to. I love it here. It reminds me of home.”

“...It must be nice.”

Something about how she said that sounded a little funny. Not exactly sad, but... a little too soft, maybe. Chika looked over at Riko, tilting her head. “What is?”

Riko jumped, as if she were surprised at getting an answer. “Oh- well. Um.” She seemed way too flustered for the question not to have mattered. But what had she said wrong...? “H-having something around that reminds you like that!” Riko looked at her wide-eyed, smile stretched too tight. Chika’s worry only deepened. Finally, she turned her attention to the display too, looking embarrassed and tucking some stray hair behind her ear. “Does your family run a bakery too?”

Well, if it’s a new subject she wants- “Ha, not exactly. We run an inn, but there’s always a lot of cooking we have to do for guests, so it has the same kind of feeling. You know?”

She nodded and glanced over at Chika again, and this time there was clear gratitude in her eyes. That.. bothered Chika. It just didn’t seem right. Finally, the owner came out of the back, an older man beaming at the two of them. “Well, if it isn’t Miss Takami. Skipping classes already?”

Chika laughed, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. That’s right, it’d slipped her mind after meeting Riko, but having it pointed out right in front of her was actually a little embarrassing. Riko didn’t say anything, though Chika couldn’t help but feel like she was looking at her a little more closely now. She tried to laugh it off and say, “Well~ I just couldn’t wait any longer to stop by.”

“You really shouldn’t be getting into this habit so early in the year... and who is your friend?” Riko jumped and ducked her head a little, so Chika put an arm around her shoulder and introduced her.

“This is Riko! And she’s absolutely starving... you wouldn’t happen to have anything to share with two girl in dire need, would you?”

The baker burst into laughter, but Riko cleared her throat and said, “Um, actually. I don’t mind paying. You’re helping me out, after all, it’s the least I could do.”

“Eh? You’re sure?” Riko nodded, and Chika felt her eyes widen to what seemed twice their normal size. “Ahh, what should I get then~ This is a rare opportunity... No, I can’t take advantage of someone so nice!” She squirmed and muttered to herself, until she heard Riko laugh. It was the first time - and it was so pretty and light. Just the kind of laugh that fit someone like her. Chika felt herself smiling at it.

It took a couple of minutes, but they finally went away each with a stuffed bun filled with meat and cheese, and a sweet roll. Chika really did have to insist on them. They were definitely the best, Riko couldn’t miss out on it! Riko had smiled at her in an indulgent way You and Kanan sometimes did, but once she got a taste, there was no missing the way her eyes started to shine with excitement. Good food just had that kind of effect.

Chika brought her over to the church steps, plopping herself down and stretching out her legs. “C’mon, let’s sit here. No one will mind this time of day.” Riko nodded, and sat down smoothing out her skirt carefully.

There on the stone steps, Chika leaned back and looked up into the sky. It was a bright, brilliant blue, white fluffy clouds dotting it here and there. It really was a beautiful day. She took a deep breath of the chilly March air, and felt her whole body relax as she breathed out.

She wound up scarfing her bun down much faster than Riko. Even something like this, she ate carefully. But she seemed to really like it. Chika couldn’t help being a bit proud that she’d found something Riko could enjoy. Especially after how troubled she looked.

Then, like a cloud passing over the sun, Riko’s face slowly turned quiet and cool again. She looked down at the food in her hands and seemed to want to eat, but... something was stopping her. Something was bothering her that badly.

Chika didn’t know what to do. She’d never... she’d never had to comfort anyone before. Not about anything really important, the way this seemed to be. She didn’t know how to ask, or what to say. But she had to do something. Or else what was the point of trying to talk to Riko at all?

She took a deep breath again, and admitted, “You know... I almost didn’t come to Lowood this year.”

The words took a minute to sink in. Then Riko jerked her head up to look at Chika, completely baffled. Chika felt an awkward smile on her face, which she just couldn’t figure out how to make seem natural.

“...Eh?”

She stood up, walked a little way up the steps. It was a little easier to talk without actually looking at her.  “Actually, I come from this itty-bitty tiny little town near the ocean. In a place like that, there were only two families that anyone expected to have witches. But, surprise! There wound up being five instead!” She kept not looking at Riko. Just up at the sky instead. It’d been sunny like this when she first came to Lowood, too. “No one else in my family has any magic. It was a huge deal when everyone found out, they all threw me and You a party, before we were whisked off to Lowood.”

She kicked at the next step up. “But, all last year, no matter what I did... I couldn’t find a familiar.”

To be honest, Chika didn’t know what she thought this might accomplish. She didn’t know if Riko would sympathize with anything she was saying, or if she’d think she was just whining and being impatient. But...

“So,” Riko asked, voice small, “You were so worried about it, you almost gave up?”

Chika glanced down at her, but Riko was looking in front of her so she couldn’t really see her expression. Still... if she was asking, then she must want to know, right? “It probably sounds silly... I mean, after all, if I quit, then I’ll _definitely_ never find a familiar and get to do magic. But... I really was scared.” She had to pause, to swallow down a lump building in her throat. “Just thinking that I could come back here and look and look, for years maybe, and never find someone.. That I could work at it and still let everyone down who’d been so excited for me to finally do something _special_...”

She heard Riko shift, saw her look up at her with a concerned expression. Chika tried to smile for her. She really tried. But even she could feel the edges of it wavering.

Finally, Riko asked, very quietly, “...Why are you telling me this?”

Chika laughed. “I don’t know, exactly. It’s just... all winter, I worried about this myself. I didn’t think I could say anything to anyone. If they tried to reassure me, that would’ve just been _more_ pressure to make them proud of me. If that makes sense.” Chika tried smiling again, and it came easier this time. “So I guess... I wanted you to know that I’ll understand if you just want to talk. I promise, no cheesy life advice from me!”

Riko giggled a little, and Chika felt some of the knot in her stomach loosen. It took her a couple of seconds, but then she said, “I... don’t have a familiar either, actually.” Chika waited, didn’t gasp or grin or anything. And eventually, Riko continued. “I don’t know if you guessed, but I go to the Royal Blue Union. Everyone’s a witch or sorcerer from a noble family there. Mine too. And people like that... well, they don’t really need to work for money, or advance socially, so a lot see magic as a big nuisance.” She shuffled her shoes against the stone step below her. “My family, though... mine has always been very proud of working for the royal family. It’s an honor to use magic in their service. And I’m... an only child, so. Our name is depending on me. And I... I don’t even know how to find someone.”

Chika started stepping down to sit next to Riko. Being closer to her felt like the right thing to do right now.

“I... I don’t have any friends there,” Riko admitted, without really thinking. “I guess I seem... kind of boring to all of them. I mean, I am boring, so I guess they’re right.” She tried to laugh, and it made Chika’s heart hurt. That’s not the kind of laugh Chika wanted to hear from her. “So I thought, why not go and do something completely unexpected? Something to change their minds. Like come all the way out to Newton without permission.” She looked back down, hands clasped together so tight, her knuckles turned white. “But- but every time I think I have to go back, I just... I freeze up , and I-”

“I see.” Chika said, cutting her off. Riko was really shaking badly. She shouldn’t feel like she had to keep explaining. Chika leaned over as Riko started to turn towards her, and gave her the biggest smile she could. “Thank you for telling me.”

Riko started to shake her head and look down. “No... it’s not a big deal...”

“It is! And I have an idea.” Chika said, grabbing Riko’s hands and pulling them up between them. “Why don’t you spend the night with me?”

 Riko sputtered. “ _Excuse me?_ ”

“You don’t want to go back, right? But you can’t go sleeping on the streets. I mean, there’s demons, for one, and it’ll be really cold, too! Unless you brought enough for an inn?” Riko very pointedly didn’t look at her purse, but Chika knew she hit the mark. “So stay at Lowood, just for the night! I’ll tell Kanan - her familiar, Dia, is suuuuper good at talking to the teachers. She’ll definitely be able to convince them to let you stay in one of the rooms. Maybe one of the empty doubles! Or even with me and You and our other roommates!”

“I- I couldn’t...”

“You can. I promise, I’ll figure out a way to make it work.” She smiled. “If you need time away to think, then you should get it! And if one of our teachers calls your school, maybe they can spin it like some kind of exchange program.” The more she tried to convince Riko, the better the idea sounded, even to her. Still staring at her, like she couldn’t take her eyes away, Riko let out a breath.

“You’re so strange. You barely even know me, so why-”

“Because,” Chika said, “If there’s something I can do to help, then I want to.” She grinned and added, “You can even just say I’m being selfish, if that’s easier.”

Riko’s shoulders untensed, and finally, she nodded. “Alright, but only if your friend says it’s alright. I don’t want to get anyone in trouble.”

“It’s a deal!” Chika said, and squeezed her hands. But deep down, Chika didn’t really think anything would go wrong from here on. Someone like Riko, who was working so hard and was feeling so hurt from not succeeding, deserved to have things go right for her. And Chika would do everything she could to make sure they did.


	4. Chapter 4

“You can’t possibly be serious,” Dia hissed. Chika shrunk back, and Dia expected her to start rubbing the back of her head and very determinedly not making eye contact, like she always did when she knew she was being unreasonable. She wasn’t expecting Chika to double-down, snapping back up to look straight at her almost instantly. 

“I mean - yeah, okay, I know it’s a lot to ask, but it’s really important! She doesn’t have anywhere else to go. Even if she left right now, she wouldn’t get back to Sierra until way, way too late anyway.” Chika started batting her eyes. Dia made a face. Yes, this was something she was more familiar with. “Pleeease, Dia? We can’t make a young lady go all that way at night. There could be bandits! Demons! And Headmistress Minami will listen if  _ you’re  _ the one who asks. Pretty please?”

Ugh. And now she was trying the puppy-dog eyes. Like they could even hold a candle to Ruby’s persuasive power. Dia sighed and said, “Listen. It isn’t that I don’t feel bad for your friend, but we have rules for a reason. We can’t just let anyone who wants to stay overnight.”

“But it’s just for a little bit! And she’s only one person.” Chika got a crafty look on her face, leaning in close. “You could always play it like she’s looking to transfer. The teachers are all worried about funding, right? Bet they’d love to get a donation from an aristocrat’s daughter.”

...Well, yes, that might work. As if sensing weakness, Chika practically leaped into her face. “It’s a great idea, right? We won’t have any problems if you just tell them that!”

Dia tried to keep her face stiff, but... honestly, what was the point in arguing? It wasn’t like she really wanted to force this Riko Sakurauchi girl to leave right this minute. At last, she rubbed at her temples and said, “Fine. I’ll try and arrange something for her tonight. But that’s all-”

“WHOO HOO!” Chika shouted, pumping both fists into the air. She ran to the door and threw it open, grabbing the waiting Riko’s hands. “Did you hear? You can stay! I told you Dia would help.”

Riko smiled, her whole body easing a little, and turned towards Dia. “Yes, thank you very much. I don’t know how I can repay you.”

“No, it’s alright. But I can’t promise a long stay. You should figure out what to do from here soon.”

She stiffened again, but nodded. Chika pouted and said, “Eh? You don’t have to be so pushy about it.”

“Says the one who dragged her here.” Chika snapped her mouth shut with an uneasy look, but Dia ignored her. There was something else she wanted to speak with Riko about first. “You said you go to the Royal Blue Union, correct?” The girl nodded, looking quizzical. “You wouldn’t happen to know of an upperclassman named Mari Ohara, would you?”

Chika jumped - had she really not even thought to ask? Sure, she wasn’t especially close with Mari, but  _ still _ . Riko started to frown and shake her head... but then hesitated. “Ohara... I might have. If I’m thinking of the right person, she hasn’t even opened her field since coming to school.” Her face must be easy to read, Dia thought, because Riko seemed startled and suddenly waved her hands and said, “Oh, but - those are just rumors. I’ve never met her, so I don’t know if they’re even true. Sorry, I shouldn’t have spoken carelessly...”

“Don’t apologize, you didn’t do anything wrong.” Dia straightened, clicked her heels together and clasped her hands behind her back. “I’m going to speak to the Headmistress now. You may accompany Chika to the dorms, I expect she’ll come by to meet you herself later.”

Riko nodded, and Chika grabbed her hand and started leading her away. Once they were out of sight, Dia felt a chill come over herself. She let out a shaky breath. Just talk to the headmistress. Then find Kanan. If she did those two things, everything would be fine.

 

* * *

 

Only the first week, Dia sighed as she fell back against her bed a few hours later, and she already had the beginnings of a truly outstanding headache. This was not boding well for the rest of the year.

At least Ruby was adjusting better than she’d feared. She had complete confidence that her sister would have been fine eventually, but Dia had to admit she’d expected that the first couple of weeks Ruby would barely leave her side. That Ruby was able to make a friend on the first day was a pleasant surprise. Hanamaru seemed like a nice enough girl, though Dia hadn’t had many opportunities to get to know her yet. She trusted Ruby’s judgment, but she looked forward to speaking to her new friend a little more thoroughly.

But now there was  _ Chika _ . Dia let out a groan and turned onto her stomach to bury her face in her pillow. From the other bed, she heard Kanan laugh.

“Hey, don’t get too mad at her. Her heart was in the right place.”

Dia turned her face enough to glare at Kanan. “Suddenly dumping a Union stow-away onto me and expecting me to fix everything was certainly  _ not  _ the right place. She could have at least given me some time to prepare.”

Kanan walked over and put a hand on her head. “It all worked out though, right? You did a great job, Dia. No one else could’ve handled it better.”

With a ‘hmph’, she turned her face back into her pillow and let Kanan stroke her hair. Easy for her to say. Well, if Chika thought she could just walk all over her and follow her every whim with no repercussions, she was going to have a rude awakening down the line. Dia was already preparing for that.

...Of course, it wasn’t like she didn’t understand why Chika was worried about that girl. She practically had tears in her eyes when Dia first started to turn down Chika’s plan, to the point where Dia hadn’t even wanted to discuss the matter in front of her. Whatever was bothering her, Riko Sakurauchi was in no state to go back to that school tonight.

And well, of course it was better that Chika come to her for help than try to convince the headmistress herself. That, they both knew, would have been a disaster.

But, still. A  _ little  _ time for preparation would have been appreciated.

Regretfully, though, they couldn’t just lay around like this all night. A quick glance at the clock was almost time for their shift. Heaving herself up with a sigh, Dia said, “Alright, alright, you don’t need to comfort me. I’m ready.”

Kanan smiled. “So, which uniform do you want? Long skirt or short?”

“Long is fine this time.” She brushed some stray hair neatly behind her ear. “We probably won’t be seeing very much action tonight.” Kanan’s smile tightened a notch, but she nodded.

 

* * *

 

“Alright everyone, the first weekend is coming up,” Headmistress Minami said to the group of students awaiting her orders. “The freshman will be eager to stretch their legs, so it’s our duty to make sure they can do so safely. I want a full sweep of the city - Team A, you head north. Team B, east. Team C, south. And Team D, west. It’s very unlikely we’ll find any demons above a Class C, but you all know the drill if you do. Don’t engage, just report to me and I’ll determine what we do from there.”

Everyone shouted their understanding and acquiescence. Dia turned to Kanan, who nodded, and they headed south with another pair of witches and a sorcerer. The boy opened his field and called out, “Light.” A bright glow appeared in the palm of his hand, illuminating the streets.

Dia thought it was a bit pointless. They could have just used lanterns. Using his magic like this was quite a waste. At least a sorcerer wouldn’t have to save his strength for a fight, she supposed. He’d be useless either way. This way he can contribute something.

She glanced over at the other pair of witches with them. Honestly, she didn’t recognize them. They were probably in the year below them. A thread of frustration ran through her, tightening her shoulders. It couldn’t be helped. She knew that. She’d long since accepted it. But that didn’t necessarily make it more pleasant to deal with.

Kanan’s hand found her’s in the dim light, and she glanced over and tried to smile.

These sorts of patrols rarely resulted in much anyway. There might be an Owl Fox or two to fend off, but these days truly dangerous demon sightings were fairly low. It wasn’t at all like it was back when the Muses were still fighting. These days, it was more like keeping the vermin under control than anything.

So really, it shouldn’t matter whether her own magic lived up to the rumors that plagued her recruitment. Government officials should have known better than to take the excited chattering of a small town so seriously. And it wasn’t like her spells were bad, or weak, but... it had become clear quickly that the only thing that was truly exceptional about her since arriving at this school was simply how early her field had opened. Her teachers were hopeful, and made no secret about their expectations for her, but Dia was sure that the Royal Blue Union was patting itself on the back right now for avoiding this disappointment.

Not that she even wanted to go there in the first place. It had never once crossed her mind as a real option. But seeing that girl, Riko Sakurauchi, showing up so stressed and desperate because of the atmosphere there... well, it didn’t make her feel more  _ secure _ , exactly. But it  _ was  _ a bit affirming, she had to admit.

Still. That did raise another concern she’d kept quiet so far...

“Are you alright?” Kanan asked.

Dia started, and realized her grip on Kanan’s hand had tightened to what must be a painful degree. She let out a breath and loosened her hold. Then, softly, she asked, “...Do you think Mari is doing alright in Sierra?”

Kanan froze. Her face closed off, and she looked straight ahead. “Better than she’d be doing here, that’s for sure.”

“Well, yes, there’s no questioning that, but... do you think she’s really  _ well _ ?” Dia tried to catch Kanan’s eyes, but it was difficult while they still had to patrol, “Not just better than here?”

“I don’t know.” Kanan said, still not looking at her. “How could I? It’s not like she’s written or come back to visit us.” Dia just waited, keeping her expectations for Kanan clear. After a few seconds, her familiar softened and said, “But she’s never exactly cared what people thought, as long as she was enjoying herself. If she was really unhappy, I can’t imagine she’d have stayed there. So... yes. I do think she’s alright. Really.”

It was a line of reasoning that made sense. And Dia really did want to believe that was the case. For Mari’s sake. But-

“Ah! There’s one!”

A creature looking a little bit like a massive centipede crawled along side the building. It had no head, but it’s body pulsed red and black and when it reared up and away from the light, one end turned bright crimson. Then, it pushed off the wall and lunged.

Kanan stepped back, giving Dia room to draw her instrument - a bright red fan.

“The queen’s crystal!” Dia called out, opening the fan with a snap as sharp glittering fragments of what looked like glass formed a shield in front of her. The centipede demon rammed into it and was forced back, the parts of it that came into contact with the shards evaporating into smoke while it scrambled to escape.

The other pair of girls cut it off, with one stepping firmly in front of it and brandishing a thin oak rod, shouting, “Midnight crypt!”

A fog rose up around her, black enough so no light could escape, and enveloped the demon completely. There was a sharp shriek, and Dia waited with her field ready, but when the fog evaporated, the demon was completely gone. The witch’s familiar cheered, grabbing her partner’s hand and starting to spin her around. “That was so cool, you got it in one shot!”

Only then did Kanan take her hand and pull her out of her own field. With a good-natured grin, she called over to the pair, “Good job! That was an impressive spell.”

The pair giggled and the witch who’d cast it gave her thanks. Her familiar got a sneaky look on her face and added, “It’s too bad, though. From what the teachers say, I was expecting more of a show from our resident prodigy,” Dia stiffened, and Kanan took a protective step in front of her. She’d hoped that rumor would at least be less ubiquitous with the new year but... evidently not. To be fair, the first girl was looking a little embarrassed and tugged on her partner’s sleeve. Her familiar shrugged and turned back to her, but didn’t quite speak quietly enough for the rest of them to miss her saying, “There’s no need to be modest, you know. You finished off a demon on your first try, you should brag a little..”

Dia caught Kanan’s eye and sighed.

When she was really little, she was too shy to even think of showing off her magic. If not for Mari, she would never have dreamed of it.

But... Mari loved to sing. When the three of them were alone, she’d stand proudly in front of them both and sing with one of the prettiest voices Dia had ever heard. And when she sang, Dia could feel something stirring under her skin. A kind of energy, vibrant and powerful. Until one day, without even thinking, she’d let it go, and suddenly there were crystals in the air all around them, sparkling and casting rainbows in the bright sun.

Of course, the happy memory of using her magic for the first time was marred by the panic she and her two friends had suffered from as they realized none of them knew how to get her out of her field. Mari had tried pulling, but all that did was hurt, like she was being shocked with lightning.

It was only when Kanan had said, “It’s that glittering shell around you, right? I’m stronger, let me try...” And then she’d reached out and all she had to do was tug and the crystals disappeared and Dia was yanked forward to stumble on top of her two friends. She didn’t remember much of what happened after that - Dia was pretty sure she fell asleep pretty quickly. But she did remember the three of them trying to hide it from the adults afterwards. Mari’s singing had always been a very strict secret, and then Dia’s magic was too - and eventually Kanan’s joined them, once she got curious enough to try it for herself.

They were all too young to understand what it was they were playing around with. And they were far,  _ far  _ too young to be able to keep up with the magic they were all carrying. All magicians use magic in exchange for their life - and it wasn’t long before the adults started noticing that the three of them were worn out more often than not.

It was a really good thing that her own family and Mari’s both understood the weight of magic. Being responsible with her abilities was one of the most important things Dia learned, even if it meant she found herself playing the wet blanket to Mari and Kanan’s more lackadaisical approach back then.

She looked over at Kanan. That certainly wasn’t a problem anymore. But... she almost wished it were.

No, Dia thought, shaking her head and looking firmly at the path in front of her. She should have been even more responsible, from the very beginning. If she had just done that, then maybe they wouldn’t have gotten into this mess at all.

 

* * *

 

It took a couple of hours before the next shift of students went out and their’s were allowed to return to their dormitory. Dia was relieved. Tomorrow she was going to have to figure out how to deal with Riko Sakurauchi - would it even be possible to get her permission for a longer stay? Not without her parents’ approval, and Dia had no idea how likely  _ that  _ was, if Riko would rather run away from school to here rather than just go home. She didn’t like playing the bad guy, but she may have no choice if the headmistress wouldn’t allow it...

“You still upset about earlier?” Kanan asked over her shoulder, as she took off the working uniform in exchange for her nightshirt. Dia sighed and shook her head, before she started tying her hair into her usual bed time pigtails.

“No, not that. Just thinking about tomorrow.”

Kanan made a thoughtful humming sound, then smoothed out her clothes and jerked her head towards the bed. “Hey, why don’t we share tonight? It’ll be like old times.”

Dia felt her face heat a little bit, and she looked over her shoulder to squint at Kanan. “What does that have to do with what I’m talking about?”

“You always slept really well when we were together,” Kanan said easily enough, “And if you’re well-rested, you can handle whatever comes at you tomorrow with no problem!”

Dia continued to eye her familiar, but Kanan just kept smiling at her, and finally Dia was the one to relent. It just... sounded nice. Once she finished with her hair, she slipped under her sheets and held them up for Kanan. It was a tighter fit than when they were children - even with Mari squeezing in alongside or between them too - but they both fit comfortably enough.

But even though it was comfortable, even though Kanan was warm and it was good to be so close to her, Kanan was wrong. Dia couldn’t fall asleep easily at all. She laid there, listening to Kanan breathing, wanting to be lulled to sleep by it, and just couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t the same.

Still, she tucked her head under Kanan’s chin, and closed her eyes. She remembered Kanan’s last-minute walk into the water, and knew this wasn’t just for her sake. She laid there silently in the dark, and couldn’t stop thinking. Would there ever be a time it felt right for Mari to not be here with them? She nestled in closer to Kanan, and tried not to think about whether or not she even wanted that.


	5. Chapter 5

The first week of classes was drawing to a close, and Yohane honestly wondered if there was  _ anyone  _ who actually took this school seriously. Not a single teacher had started explaining anything to any of them - it was just self-study period, after self-study period, after self-study period.

When questioned, the older students all laughed and said, “That’s just how it is.” Lowood was a government-run school, after all. The teachers, the headmistress, they all qualified as public servants. And that meant a lot of paperwork at the start of every school year, and not enough pay to make it worth their while to bother teaching on top of everything else.

Of course, Yohane knew she wasn’t the only one who was frustrated. The feeling permeated the air in the classrooms as everyone grew more and more impatient with the poor staff. Where was the spell casting? The magical artifacts? The  _ drama _ ? 

But recently her classmates seemed to be getting complacent with this arrangement. To Yohane, that was absolutely unacceptable. She’d even tried going to the school’s library - perchance to stumble upon ancient tomes that could enlighten her - but it was so poorly organized, she had no idea how to find anything. And the upperclassmen continued to be utterly unhelpful. Whenever she managed to ask one of them about the location of books about magic, they’d chuckle and say she wasn’t ready to be reading things like that. She should hear from her teachers first.

Well! Yohane hadn’t left her home and family to sit around a classroom doodling in her notebook. No, she came to be a witch! And there had to be someone in this school who was willing to teach her, if the people who were supposed to be responsible for her education in the dark arts were slacking on the job.

...Plus. 

Well. 

She didn’t really have anything else to do.

Right from the first week, everyone had already started grouping off into little cliques. In their self-study periods, her classmates were spending more time gossiping than anything else. Yohane could barely even make herself look up from her books in that kind of atmosphere. She didn’t want to be caught looking helplessly around for someone to chat with, it’d just make her seem pathetic. At least if she read the whole time, she’d come across as studious and respectable, rather than a desperate loser. 

Her roommates were no better. They all kept running out to spend time with their new friends. Even the twitchy red-headed girl with the pigtails - who was so shy, Yohane didn’t think she’d even heard her speak yet - seemed to have somewhere better to be every evening. Which, really, suited her just fine! She didn’t care! After all, when people were out of the room, she didn’t have to hide her divination tools, or her books of ritual and spell ideas. She could plan and rehearse as much as she wanted and never get any funny looks!

Still... all this practice was going to go to waste if she didn’t find someone who could actually help her make these plans a reality.

Fortunately, not  _ every  _ student in this school was a complete layabout. After over a week of fruitless searching, one of the upperclassmen finally took her aside and said, “Look, if you’re really serious about learning, I don’t mind teaching you. But the teachers don’t allow it, so you’ll have to make it worth my while.” With her allowance from home still sitting idly in her pocket, it was an easy choice. Yohane accepted immediately.

 

* * *

It took her a full day before the upperclassman came back and told her she’d found an empty room for them to use. With all the lights off, the old classroom had the absolute perfect ambience for a magic lesson. It even smelled musty, like an old crypt. Yohane couldn’t help but be excited. The upperclassmen took out a small, smooth green gem and pressed it into Yohane’s palm.

“Okay, step one: magic is all about concentration,” she told her, “For now, you need something solid to focus on in order to bring out your potential.”

Yohane nodded, squeezing the stone tightly in her hands. 

“I’m serious,” her tutor said, wagging a finger at her, “Don’t let your focus waver for even a moment.” Yohane nodded seriously, taking deep even breaths and trying to ignore the eager little voice at the back of her head demanding a more dramatic presentation for her first spell. “When you feel like you’ve put all the energy into it you can, call out ‘Light’. It’s a standard spell, but you need to start with the basics.”

Yohane squeezed her eyes closed, and felt her hands shaking from the force she was putting into holding the crystal. Then, she called out in a deep voice fitting the situation, “Light!”

The stone started to glow brilliantly, illuminating the entire dark classroom. Yohane couldn’t help beaming - it was all she could do to keep her composure and not just twirl and hold it over her head in triumph.

“Oh, well done! You may be a natural at this.” The upperclassman smiled, clapping her hands. Suddenly, outside the room, footsteps rang out in the hall. The two of them froze, and she glanced up at the clock on the wall. “Damn, I thought we’d have longer before they started cleaning this wing... sorry, we’ll have to cut this short.” Yohane started to protest, but the upperclassman was already heading towards the door, smiling at her over her shoulder. “Don’t worry, you’re off to a great start. I want you to practice on this for the next week, and then show me how bright you can get it when we meet up again.”

It sounded like an easy enough task... but when she returned to her own room to practice, Yohane quickly found out that no matter how she tried, she could never get it to shine any more brightly. It always lit up when commanded, but the light was steady. No matter how much energy she tried to put into it, no matter how much she tried to focus, there was no difference at all. 

Yohane grunted, holding the stone in her hands, all the lights in her dorm room turned, and called out “Light!” again and again. But the glow still didn’t change. She tried, focusing with so much determination, her head started to ache and she managed to block out the rest of the world. She didn’t hear the voices in the hall, or the footsteps. She didn’t even notice when the door to the room opened.

At least, not until she heard a trembly, squeaky voice say, “U-um, excuse me?”

Yohane squawked and nearly fell off her bed, and impulsively shoved the stone under a pillow. “Yes?” She recovered, sitting up as straight as she could manage, “What issue do you have with Yohane?”

“Oh, u-um, actually... I just c-came to get my bag, b-but...” The red-headed girl’s eyes kept darting from her to the floor, and she kept fidgeting. Not that Yohane was one to criticize. She was doing her best not to break out into a cold sweat from embarrassment. “W-was that magic you were doing?”

Drawing herself up to her full height, Yohane stood up from the bed and placed her hands on her hips with confidence. If she looked the part, she might actually convince this girl. “Of course! I am a witch, am I not? Magic is a mere trifle to me!”

“B-b-but...! If you got your field open, w-we should get a teacher.” What in seven hells was a ‘field’? No, more importantly, were those tears in that girl’s eyes? “It- it can be really,  _ really  _ dangerous if you’re already using magic!”

“N-Never fear!” Yohane said, taking out the stone from it’s hiding spot. Not making this girl cry had become priority number one, even if it meant admitting to the plateau she’d hit on her very first spell. “I am perfectly in control of my powers, just watch. Light!”

The stone began to shine, and the girl’s green eyes widened and sparkled in the light. Yohane couldn’t help a small thread of pride at having made the girl look like that. She really was impressive! But then her roommate let out a sigh of relief, rubbing at her eyes to dry them. “Oh... oh, good. I’m s-so glad it’s just an enchantment...”

“...Enchantment?”

Her roommate looked up and blinked, more than a little confused. “Um? Yes? Enchanted objects aren’t dangerous at all... u-unless, well, I guess they’d be dangerous if the enchantment was, b-but I mean, not dangerous like a field is.”

“What do you mean?”

The girl blinked again, and started to shrink in on herself. Yohane wondered briefly if she looked  _ that  _ scary, before shoving the thought aside as unimportant. “Well, I mean... enchantments are made so anyone can use them with the right word. They don’t, y’know, use up our own power like spells and fields do.”

Yohane stared, slowly turning to look at the rock in her hand. “So... I wasn’t using magic at all.”

The girl suddenly started looking like she’d said something horribly wrong, waving her hands anxiously. “Um! I mean! You did, but... the stone’s magic. N-not your’s. I-if that’s what you’re asking.”

Yohane thought about the upperclassman’s smile as she had left. And she laughing. “O-Of course I knew that! What fool wouldn’t recognize an enchanted artifact when they saw one!” She pointedly didn’t look at the girl, keeping her eyes shut as she tried to keep going. “Nevertheless, I had to... test it! To make sure that’s what it was. You can’t be too careful with such important objects.”

There was a long pause, before her roommate said, in a small voice, “R...right.” Yohane kept her eyes shut. She wanted this girl to leave, before she had to look at her again. “Um... are you okay?”

“I’m  _ fine _ .” Yohane pocketed the stone and pushed past her roommate. If that girl wasn’t going to leave, Yohane would. “If you’ll excuse me, I have somewhere to be right now.”

Yohane couldn’t take it. She just wanted to cry... how could she be so stupid? She threw the rock into the garden as hard as she could on impulse, and didn’t bother going into class. She never went back to see that upperclassman either, doggedly avoiding any place where she might be. 

 

* * *

At least her roommate didn’t seem to have told anyone, Yohane noticed when she finally sucked it up and went back to the dorm. None of the other girls paid her any special attention, and no one was laughing at her. The twitchy red-head kept glancing over at her with an anxious expression, but she didn’t say anything in front of the others, and Yohane didn’t give her an opening to when they were alone. She didn’t even want to face her right now.

And when the teacher finally came into class the next day with a new sense of purpose around her, Yohane found herself far too wary to enjoy it.

“Magic,” Professor Sasahara said, striding confidently across the classroom, “Stems from the ‘field’, first and foremost. Everyone starts by opening a ‘field’ around them, creating a space where their magic can exist.

“For example, some fields are narrow and can only affect the witch or sorcerer using them. Others are massive and can encompass entire troops when necessary.” She drew on the chalkboard at the front of the room, a set of simple stick figures with circles of various sizes around them. “And of course, there’s an endless variety of types of fields that exist. Some are incredibly specialized - there is a witch that can restore any object to it’s original condition, who is only authorized to use her ability for official royal decrees. Others are more broad, like magic that affects sound, or can alter the weather. Every field is unique to its user, but there are some general categories that can help us figure out what kind of magic your field is capable of.”

Despite herself, Yohane could feel her excitement building. This was totally different from what the upperclassman had said... but it was also so much better! She was already starting to imagine what kind of magic her own might be - maybe something about controlling a person with their shadow! Or summoning demons herself! Or-

“Still, in order to use magic, witches all need a partner.”

What.

“Our fields are too complicated and powerful to disperse while we’re in them,” Professor Sasahara said, waving a hand at the door. In walked Miss Yamauchi, the librarian, smiling and giving a quick nod at the class. “So we need another witch to act as a familiar to us. Watch, as we demonstrate.”

Professor Sasahara opened her field - and the whole classroom, from their almost in-unison gasp could feel it. The feeling of magic practically crackled in the air. The professor smiled, and said, “Blow, north wind!” The temperature started dropping immediately, and in a matter of seconds, Yohane was shivering in her seat. Someone in a row behind her even sneezed. 

“As you can see, my field allows me to control the temperature within its range. If I just stayed like this, with my field open, I’d quickly use my strength up and die.” Yohane gulped at the serious glint in her teacher’s eye, before Professor Sasahara turned and held out a hand to Miss Yamauchi. All the librarian had to do was take hold of it, and the chill in the air started to disappear. Soon it was the same warm, sunny temperature it had been before. 

After giving their teacher a small smile, Miss Yamauchi turned back towards them and spoke next. “This bond, between a pair of witches, can only be made once. There’s no changing your mind and swapping partners later once your fields are attuned.” She smiled gently at the rows of increasingly nervous faces in front of her. “It might sound scary, but that’s why it’s very important to be sure of yourself when making this choice. Once another witch is capable of seeing your field, then that’s it. You can have no other familiar, and they alone can pull you out of your field. It’s a partnership meant to last a witch’s entire career.” 

Her words, Yohane thought, were definitely not as reassuring as she seemed to think they were. Everyone in the classroom was clearly feeling the pressure of the commitment they were expected to make, even just a quick glance around made that obvious. 

“Obviously, this isn’t a decision to make lightly,” Professor Sasahara said, putting her hands on her hips and beaming, “So for now, just focus on this - you’ll be obligated to work for the government for five years after graduation. And let me tell you, the jobs pairs can get are far more interesting than you’ll find going it alone, since you won’t be able to use your magic. So think carefully about the kind of person you’d like to work with for at least five years, and go from there!” Then she laughed. “Though no one expects any of you to find a familiar in the first couple of weeks.”

“There’s plenty of upperclassmen who still haven’t found one either,” Miss Yamauchi added, “It’s something that takes time. And you still haven’t even taken the most important first step yet.”

Professor Sasahara nodded. “That’s right. Tomorrow, we’ll be talking about how to start opening and seeing your own fields. It’s something that can only be done now, while your fields are still too small and unstable to be dangerous. Once you’ve begun this process, you’ll be setting the stage for your future familiars to see your field as well.” Sensing the upcoming dismissal, the class began shifting, murmuring to one another and packing their things up. Sasahara called out over the growing noise, “And one last thing - it really is important for everyone to take their time and be sure about this. So if any of you do have a prospective pair in mind already, please come talk to me about it!”

The class was all a bubble of nerves and excitement as they started bustling out of the room, but Yohane felt like her heart had already sunk into the floor. She couldn’t do magic by herself...? But... but how was she supposed to find someone to work with? She hadn’t even managed to talk to anyone yet. What was she supposed to do?

She clutched her notebooks tight to her chest, shuffling out far more slowly than she ever had on even the dullest of dull days. As the classroom emptied out before her, though, she managed to catch sight of her roommate in the crowd. 

This time, walking alongside a very familiar face.

Jumping back into the classroom like she’d been shocked, Yohane hissed, “Hanamaru’s  _ here _ ?” She peered out from the doorway to watch the two of them go - yes, that was definitely her. How had she missed her...? Well, okay, stupid question. Yohane had been way too nervous to look at anyone in her own class. She couldn’t name a single other face if anyone asked. 

But... still! Her heart was pounding. She hadn’t seen Hanamaru since they were little. It had been less than a year that her nomadic family had stayed near the abbey Hanamaru lived at. But here she was... the one person in the school she recognized.

It was fate.

It  _ had  _ to be.

Yohane straightened up. Of course, they were witches, after all! Didn’t they say there was no such thing as coincidence when it came to magic? It was destined for them to both be here. Which meant there was no reason for her to try and start from scratch with someone totally new. Even only having met ten years ago was better than having to deal with a total stranger. 

Hanamaru was definitely, 100% the only person who could possibly be her familiar.

...Now the only question was, Yohane thought to herself as she remained firmly in hiding, how to make her see it too. 


	6. Chapter 6

“Oooh, so you guys finally had _that_ talk, huh?” You said to the pair of first years sitting across from her.

Ruby nodded. “Yeah... I mean, I’ve known for a while, but... it’s a little different, actually being here and getting told all that.” She fidgets in her seat. “It really does determine just about everything, doesn’t it?”

Kanan sighed. “The pressure they put on you all sure doesn’t make it easier to find someone, huh? Maybe that’s part of the problem.”

“But it _is_ an important commitment,” Dia said, “Not everyone can count on just stumbling across someone they can trust with their life. We were extremely lucky.”

As the group chatted about the first year’s introduction to familiars, Riko just sat silently and nibbled on her salad. The food here was much more simple than the meals at Royal Blue. She tried to focus on that, as the conversation swirled.

“I thought it was amazing!” Hanamaru said, eyes sparkling, “And Miss Yamauchi and Professor Sasahara are still together, even now that they’re all grown up and done with their five years... I think having a partner like that’s wonderful!” She turned to Kanan and Dia, all earnest curiosity. “How did you two become familiars?”

“By accident, mostly,” Kanan laughed, and shared a story of Dia opening her field when they were almost too young to even know what that was. Riko kept picking at her food quietly, every now and then looking up to smile at the person talking and nod along with whatever they just said. It wasn’t like any of these girls were uninteresting, or that Riko disliked them. Of course not. They’d all been very nice to welcome her like they had, and Dia especially had helped far more than she ever could have hoped. But just listening to this subject was making her feel sick. Her hand holding the fork started to shake, and she just hoped and hoped that no one would notice.

Then, suddenly, Chika was boisterously grabbing her hand and asking, “Hey, Riko, you haven’t seen our library yet, right?” Riko blinked, and slowly nodded. Chika grinned, and turned to her friend. “C’mon, You, let’s show her around!”

A part of Riko felt guilty for letting Chika get her out of there. Those were all Chika’s friends, after all, and here she was using up Chika’s time instead. But her gratitude far outweighed the guilt.

It was... amazing, really. How Chika was able to act so decisively, even though Riko knew she was struggling with the same problem she was. It occurred to her that Chika was probably feeling as awful as she was during that lunch, but Chika had managed to keep smiling and acting normally, and even found an out for both of them so easily. She didn’t just fall apart over the mention of familiars like Riko did.

There was no question about it - Chika was a strong person. Definitely stronger than Riko was.

You, too, seemed very nice. She’d been so friendly when Chika introduced them, and didn’t even blink when told Riko was planning to spend the night in their dorm. There’d been no awkward questions, no prying. You seemed to understand without being told that the situation was complicated, and had both given Riko space, and never complained about having a third wheel follow her and Chika around all day.

The evening and following morning had all gone as well as could be hoped for. A few people asked about Sierra and the Royal Blue Union, but most were content with the fumbling answers she gave them and didn’t try to pry once her own awkwardness became apparent.

This school... the whole atmosphere was different from Royal Blue. Royal Blue Union students didn’t care about magic, but they did care about connections. Anyone approaching her, despite her boring personality and her family’s code, would be after that. She wasn’t used to being approached honestly.

There was no way she could find a familiar there. She felt more sure of that now than ever.

But...

As Chika and You showed her the library, sharing some of their favorite titles and laughing at the books so large a child could hide behind out, the thought hit Riko harder than ever. She couldn’t find one here either. She couldn’t.

Everyone had been so nice to her. She couldn’t just _use_ them like that.

Especially not...

...

What was she doing here, really? She’d run away on a whim, she hadn’t been able to work up the nerve to call her parents and speak to them, and the longer she stayed away the harder it felt to even consider going back.

But just staying and hiding here wasn’t an option. She knew that.

So after dinner, once the sun had set, Riko told Chika she’d like to look around the school by herself for a little bit. For a second, Chika just looked at her quizzically, and Riko was trying to prepare to answer any questions she was coming up with. But then Chika smiled and nodded. “Okay, no problem! I’ll see you back up in the room, then.”

As soon as Chika was out of sight, Riko headed straight for the main entrance. She was still wearing her Royal Blue Union uniform - the gatekeeper didn’t even blink when she walked right past.

Despite her need to move, Riko really wasn’t thinking about where she was going. Or about much of anything at all, really. Every time her thoughts drifted to school, or magic, or Chika, that awful guilt would rise like bile in her mouth and she had to force it all down and keep her head clear. She would tell herself to head for the train station, to hurry and get back home, where she was supposed to be.

But she didn’t even know which way that was. She couldn’t tell if she’d walked down the same street twice, or what building she just passed. And it just got darker. And darker. She just kept walking, desperate to trick herself into thinking she was doing _something_ at least.

Then when she heard the footsteps following behind her, the guilt was replaced by fear. She didn’t look behind her, just tried to pick up the pace. It was probably just a coincidence. This _was_ a city, after all, people did things at all hours of the night.

But the footsteps got quicker to match her. No, overtake her. Riko broke into a run, but they didn’t stop, and oh god what was she _thinking_ going out this late-

“Riko, wait!”

Chika’s voice was enough of a shock that it stopped her dead in her tracks, long enough for Chika to grab her arm and keep her from bolting again.

She blinked back the tears she hadn’t even realized were forming, gasping out, “Ch-Chika! What was that about? You terrified me!”

“Ah, sorry - I was gonna call out to you, but then you suddenly started running and I didn’t want to lose sight of you when it’s this late...” Even though she seemed a bit ashamed and unsure of herself, Chika still managed to look Riko in the eye. “Why did you leave like that? I got worried when you didn’t show up, and the gatekeeper said you left... were you trying to go home?”

“I... I don’t know.” Riko rubbed at her eyes with her free hand. “I don’t know what I’m doing here. I told myself there was a reason, but...”

“...Is it about school?” When Riko kept quiet, Chika looked down at her shoes. “Sorry. I didn’t wanna push you... I know it’s really scary to talk about that kind of thing. But wouldn’t it be better to tell me than to do something dangerous like this? Or tell _someone_ anyway. Maybe Kanan, she’s good at listening. Way better than me.”

Riko’s heart ached at seeing Chika so hesitant. She shook her head, knowing she at least didn’t want Chika to feel like she hadn’t done enough. “No, that’s not...”

But then a rattling sound came from a nearby alley. The two of them stopped and stared, and something that looked almost human crawled out. Almost. It’s skin was stretched tight over it’s body, almost translucent, and it’s arms were disproportionately long. It had no legs, only a long tail that rattled as it slithered over the ground. Chika let go of Riko’s arm to hold her hand instead.

“Riko...” she said, voice steady even though Riko could feel how cold her hand was, “I’m gonna count to three, and then we’re gonna run, okay?”

Riko swallowed, squeezed her hand. “...Okay.”

The demon didn’t quite crawl out towards them. It just watched, large white eyes staring vacantly.

“One...”

It started towards them, hugging the side of the building it was closest to.

“Two.”

Chika adjusted her grip, and the demon looked so much _bigger_ the further out it came. It’s tail almost seemed to go on forever.

“Three!”

Their paralysis broke like a spell, and they bolted down the street, Chika almost pulling her, she was running so fast. They got past the demon, but it followed after them at a pace Riko almost couldn’t believe. How could it be that fast on arms and a tail?

But it was, and Riko realized something very quickly. She couldn’t keep up with Chika forever. She didn’t have the stamina. Already, her breath felt short. How far was it to the school...?

She glanced behind at the monster again.

Chika could probably outrun it, if she didn’t have to drag her along.

When she tripped over a loose cobblestone, it felt inevitable. Without even a thought, she let go of Chika’s hand.

“Riko-!”

Her knee hit the ground hard, turning her leg weak and numb from the shock of it. She couldn’t stand on it, not right away. So she didn’t bother trying to get up. She couldn’t do anything, she could only weigh Chika down. She should’ve known that from the start.

Then, she heard Chika running back, placing herself between the swiftly approaching demon and her. Riko tried to yell at her to run, but was startled by a little bit of light flickering around her. As the demon snarled, baring a mouth full of teeth, Chika’s feet lifted from the ground.

As if she wasn’t even thinking about what she was doing, Chika squeezed her eyes shut and shouted, “S-Sunshine!”

The burst of light was blinding. Riko could only tell the effect it had one the demon through it’s shriek - a once-piercing sound, that started to fizzle and fade in a matter of seconds. When Riko could see again, the demon was gone, and Chika was still floating, the air around her crackling with energy.

Chika’s breath came in gasps for a few seconds as she stared at her hands, and then, as if remembering what had happened all at once, turned back to Riko. “Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?” It was only when Chika tried to kneel down and help her up that she realized she wasn’t actually touching the ground anymore. Puzzled, she tried waving her legs beneath her, but that didn’t change anything.

The last few minutes caught up to her, and Riko scrambled to her feet, panic swelling with the realization. “You shouldn’t worry about me - what about you? I- I’ll go find a teacher, someone has to be able to help...”

“...No, it’s alright.” Chika smiled at her, and Riko couldn’t move. It came so easily to her. Pretending to be okay. “You know how it goes, right? I won’t be able to leave my field without a familiar.”

“That’s... that can’t be it,” Riko said, slowly shaking her head, tears pooling quickly now, “You can’t... can’t die because you helped me, I’m not worth that.”

Chika honestly looked surprised, blinking and wide-eyed. “Eh? Of course you are. I mean... you’ve got all these expectations on you, and you’re working so hard to fill them. I think that’s really amazing!” She kept smiling, but it turned a little wistful. “ And, y’know... I’ve always, _always_ wanted to really help someone. To do something special. So if I could do that for you, then I don’t mind-”

“Don’t say that!” Riko shouted, “Don’t, please, don’t give up over this! You’ve helped me so much already, you don’t have to do anything more...”

She had more she wanted to say, but she was crying harder now, and the words wouldn’t come out right no matter how hard she tried to make them. She couldn’t even see through them. Chika paused then, and, more softly, said, “Riko... I really mean it, you know? Even though you’re scared and don’t know what to do, you keep going, and even came all this way to try by yourself to figure it out. I thought, that you’re really brave, and if I could do something to help you achieve your goal, then that’d be a really wonderful thing.”

Riko didn’t know how to respond to that. Any of it. How could she have tricked Chika into thinking something like that...? She looked up, to try and argue, like it would make a difference, when she saw them again. There were little lights glowing around Chika now. Orbiting her, like tiny planets or stars.

Chika smiled at her, bright and honest. “So I do think you’re worth it, no matter what happens.”

She didn’t respond. She couldn’t take her eyes off those lights, couldn’t process what it meant. But it must have shown on her face, because Chika said, “Riko... do you see something? Can you see my-”

“This can’t be right,” Riko said, slowly shaking her head, and still unable to tear her eyes away. “I- do you know how must nobles find familiars? They buy them. They find poor girls without partners and pay for them, and force a connection. If I were your familiar, everyone would think that - they’ll all think you’re just some kind of desperate last chance I bought.”

It wasn’t fair, she thought, this wasn’t fair. Chika didn’t deserve to have this be her only path to be a witch. No one at Lowood did, but especially not her, and now she was trapped into it.

But Chika just asked, “Do you think of me like that?”

Riko's eyes snapped back to her. “Of course not!”

“Then it doesn’t matter to me at all what anyone else says! I already told you, right?” She held out a hand, and Riko realized she was floating higher now. “I think you’re worth it. No matter what.”

Riko looked up at her, and despite Chika’s cheery expression, she could see her face getting pale and strained from the effort of her field and the magic she used. And yet she was still trying to comfort her. Riko took a breath, wiped at her eyes.

When she took Chika’s hands, she was going to have to accept all the responsibility of being someone’s partner. No running away. No hiding anything. If Chika was going to insist that she was worth this much risk, and all the baggage that came with her... then Riko had to live up to that belief.

She looked into Chika’s eyes, at her smiling face, and took hold of both her hands and pulled.

The lights went out, the energy disappeared, and Chika came crashing back to earth, the two of them falling together this time.

“Ouch... are you okay?” Riko asked, and was answered first by a huge yawn.

“Yeah, I’m- I’m okay... just tired...” Chika started to shut her eyes and nestle closer to her, but Riko took a deep breath and sat up.

“Come on, we have to get back to school first, and you’re the one who knows the way.” Riko put Chika’s arm around her shoulders, and tried lifting her up. Her movements were heavy and sluggish, but Chika did her best to follow her lead. “We’ll have to explain everything to the teachers too.”

“Ehh, can’t that wait until tomorrow?”

“Maybe. But getting back definitely can’t.”

Chika grumbled something, and had to lean against Riko to stay upright, but that was fine. It was all part of her new responsibilities.


	7. Chapter 7

When she got back, Chika fell right asleep, and stayed asleep the whole next day. You had wanted to wait for her to wake up, but the teachers said this was normal for a witch who overexerted herself with magic. It was better for You to attend classes and make sure Chika got the notes and homework for her missing days. It made sense, she knew. Just like it made sense that Riko could stay with her. She wasn’t actually enrolled at Lowood - she didn’t have anything else to do.

Still, You couldn’t help a little twinge when she finally got out of her last class and walked into the nurse’s office to see Riko there at Chika’s bedside. 

“Ah, You,” Riko said, turning around with a very tired smile, “I’m so glad you’re here.”

And then she felt guilty for the twinge at all.

“Of course!” As she got closer, she noticed that Riko was looking pale. “...Are you okay? Did you sleep at all last night?”

Riko brushed some hair back, not quite meeting her eyes. “I... tried. But I didn’t succeed very well.”

“You want to go take a nap? I’ll wake you up if Chika does-”

“No. Thank you, but no.” She sighed, and looked at Chika in a way that made You hurt. Not in a jealous kind of way. Just... because she understood. She hadn’t seen Chika this quiet and still since she got stuck with a fever four years ago. After a few seconds, Riko said, “You, you’ll stay here with her, right?”

“Ah- yeah, of course. Why, do you need something?”

She nodded. “I need to make a phone call. To my parents.” Her voice was shaking a little bit, but there was no mistaking the determination on her face. “I was going to wait until Chika woke up but... I’ve been thinking, and I should do it myself.”

There’s a lot You didn’t know about Riko. After all, it had only been a couple of days since meeting her. But it didn’t take a genius to know that someone who’d run away from her school without telling anyone would be in for a difficult talk.

“Are you sure?” You said, “I think Chika’d want to be there for you.”

“I’m sure. I’ve just been putting it off longer and longer, and now I... I want it settled. So neither of us has to worry about it.” She managed to smile then, a little more sure. “Even they’ll have to accept a transfer if I tell them my familiar’s here.”

And whatever uneasiness You might have about the situation - about the speed in which Riko and Chika had become familiars, or the dangerous circumstances behind it - the smile she gave Riko was immediate and genuine. “Glad to hear it! It’ll be great having you here.”

“Thank you,” she said, as she stood up. “This is... probably going to take a while. If she wakes up, let her know where I am.”

“Aye aye!” You said, with a salute. Riko gave her another grateful smile, and only looked back at Chika for a few seconds before heading out of the room to find the phone.

With it just being the two of them again, You turned back to look at her best friend.

“Geeze. Leave it to you to become someone’s familiar in such a risky way.” She tried to smile, to make it a joke, but with Chika still unconscious there was no one to laugh at it. To her own surprise, she felt tears starting to form. She sniffled, rubbed at them, and managed to keep them back. It was fine, she told herself. Sure, it could have been really bad. Chika could maybe, possibly, have even died. But she didn’t! And before You knew it, Chika would open her eyes, and things would get back to normal.

...Except Chika and Riko would be getting their own room now. Because they were familiars. And Chika would start taking different lessons. And start getting new assignments and chores. 

You had never really felt a  _ need  _ to get a familiar. It would happen when it happened, she’d always believed. And in the meantime, she had fun with Chika, and being in the dorms. Graduation was over a year away, that was plenty of time to meet someone to work with. 

If anyone had asked her if she was waiting for Chika to be her familiar, she would have been honestly surprised at the question, maybe even laughed at it. They were friends. It was two different things.

But now that Chika had partnered with someone else... 

The door behind her opened, and she almost leapt out of her skin, and that awkward guilty feeling came back as she turned expecting to see Riko.

“How is she?” Kanan asked, “I came by during lunch, but...” As You explained she was still out, and where Riko was, Dia stopped in too, accompanied by Ruby. Even Hanamaru stopped by, as curious as she was concerned about the consequences of magic. She even brought snacks up from the dining hall to eat while they waited.

As if by fate, Chika did wake up just about an hour later. Just as Riko was coming back into the room. 

_ ‘They say that, about witches’ _ , You thought as everyone, almost instinctively, made space for Riko to get back to her side. ‘ _ There’s no such thing as coincidence with us.’ _

 

* * *

After that, things seemed to go very quickly. Chika bounced back quickly from her exhaustion - like she always did - and so had no excuse to waste time. By the next morning, she had a bag all packed for a trip to Sierra. Riko’s parents had insisted on meeting Chika before they approved any kind of school transfer.

“We’ll be back soon,” she told You, with a big grin, “I’ll get you something there for a souvenir - maybe they’ll let me bring back one of the Royal Blue Union uniforms!”

“Eh?” Riko looked puzzled, and looked at You, “If you want one, I can give you my old one. I won’t be needing it after this.”

You grinned, “I’d love it! It’s such a cute design, and that blue is gorgeous! I’ve never seen it up close before.”

Chika giggled a little at her enthusiasm, before a slightly troubled look crossed her face, and she turned to Riko. “Um, are you sure you’re okay with coming here? I like Lowood a lot, but if the Union would be easier for you...”

For a second, You felt a surge of panic at the hesitant offer. But Riko shook her head right away. “No, this is where I want to be. Even before you were familiar, I knew that.” She smiled and said, “But it it’s easier, you can just think of it as me being selfish.” And Chika laughed, and You just smiled, not quite sure what the joke had been.

It was only going to be a few days. They’d go, get the introductions and argument over with, and then come back safe and sound the day after. You tried to keep that in mind. A few days, then Chika and Riko would be back. Whatever changes that was going to mean... she’d take them as they came. Surely, she’d at least feel better having Chika around and herself again. You was really only worried because Chika’d been sick, and had to leave right after. Under normal circumstances, she was sure she’d be happy Chika found a familiar. Why wouldn’t she?

But still. Without Chika, the lunch table was so quiet. Kanan and Dia weren’t the chattiest pair, and surely Kanan felt her own trepidation over the new pair’s formation. Maybe You could talk to her later about it... but it was hard to bring it up in the whole group. Especially since Ruby kept kind of drifting into an exclusive conversation with Hanamaru, and the three of them were kind of left to make small talk amongst themselves. Hanamaru seemed very sweet, but You had a hard time keeping up with her the few times she’d tried. It was always about old, fancy-sounding books, and You already felt kind of slow and silly right now. She didn’t need the help.

With a sigh, she looked around the table again, picking idly at her food and every now and then nibbling on something. Kanan and Dia had been inseparable ever since they were kids. It had just seemed like a given that they’d be each other’s familiar. But... hadn’t they had another friend too? The Ohara family was well known to their tiny town. It wasn’t every day an aristocratic family decided to build a house and move in. And even though You hadn’t really played with her as often as they had - she was always more Chika’s friend than Kanan’s, when you got down to it - but Mari had used to feel like part of the package the older girls made up.

You couldn’t remember when exactly Mari had stopped spending so much time with them. She kind of remembered wondering why, at the going-away party the town had thrown for the three of them, Mari was going to the Royal Blue Union instead. But she’d never gotten a chance to actually ask her why. You’d own parents just acted like it was natural when she brought it up. It was just where aristocrats went. 

 

Thinking back on it now, though, You couldn’t help but feel like it was a little strange. Mari had always been with Kanan and Dia, would she really have wanted to go to a different school than them? Of course, she didn’t know the whole story. And she was a little afraid to ask Kanan and Dia themselves. But she just couldn’t help but worry... that maybe Kanan and Dia becoming familiars had split the three of them apart. That of course a friendship would fall apart, in the face of that bond. That one, most important relationship a witch could ever have.

...What if Riko’s parents refused to let her transfer? What if she and Chika had to go to the Royal Blue Union, all the way in Sierra? It was too far and too expensive to go visit every weekend. And when was the last time Mari even came home for the breaks? Chika... might not come back at all...

Biting her lip, You shook her head fiercely enough to force the thoughts away. Come on, they’d be back in a few days! It was all arranged, and Chika had promised. She was getting herself all worked up over nothing!

She just... needed something else to think about right now. Just sitting here obsessing over it wasn’t helping. You tried looking around the dining hall for anything interesting she could maybe bring up for conversation. To her delight, it didn’t even take that long to do! A girl with blue-black hair partially tied into a bun was sitting a couple of tables over, and kept switching between hiding behind a giant book, and peering out over the top to stare right at their table. 

Or, no, You realized as she squinted at the girl, not their whole table. She was really just looking at Ruby and Hanamaru.

You felt an amused smile start to spread across her face. She couldn’t really tell the girl’s exact age, but it was probably a safe bet that she was their classmate. Well, the only reason to be so careful about watching someone without talking, You figured,  was either a grudge or some kind of crush. Better find out which, and towards who! It’d be one way to pass the time, at least. And she didn’t want Ruby or her new friend to have a hard time with anyone, especially this early in the school year. Quickly, she scarfed the rest of her plate down, and took the scenic route around to where the dark-haired girl was sitting.

“Hey,” she said, grinning as she plopped herself down on the bench next to her, “See anything you like?”

The girl practically squawked, throwing the book up between them like a shield. “I-Insolent mortal! How dare you accost me?”

“Calm down, it’s okay.” You smiled. “I don’t think either of them are gonna notice. They’re really nice, though. You could just go up and ask to sit with them, if that’s what you’re after.”

“N-no, I don’t... I’m only interested in the brunette,” she muttered, putting the book back up on the table and peeking over it. “Hanamaru Kunikida. Our reunion is a fated event, carried out over a decade of careful planning from the dark gods. Such a thing cannot be brought about with that intruder-”

“Ohh, you knew each other when you were kids then?”

The girl’s face stiffened, but she muttered, “Yes.”

“Well then, that’s all the more reason to go over and talk to her! Ruby’s a sweetie, even if she’s shy. She won’t mind.”

“I am well-acquainted with the scarlet angel already. She’s... well, one of my roommates.” She slumped forward, and buried her face into her crossed arms on the table. “She already knows my true nature. She could expose me, right in the middle of this climactic event, and steal Hanamaru’s attention!”

“Eh? ‘True nature’?” You poked at the girl, but still received no answer. “Well, I don’t know what all that’s about, but Ruby’s really nice. She wouldn’t try to ‘steal’ anyone from you. I bet you’d like her, if you got to know her.”

The girl’s arms tightened around her, and You just barely managed to catch her muttering, “...Maybe she already told Hanamaru about what an idiot I am. Maybe they laughed about it, and they’ll laugh again if I go over there to talk to them...”

Okay, that was just a little too much self-pity for You’s taste. She flicked at the girl’s bun, who jumped up to stare at her in shock. “I just said Ruby’s a nice girl!” You insisted, wagging a finger at her, “She’d never laugh at you, even if you did do something silly. And I don’t know Maru that well, but if she was like that, would you want to be her friend?”

The girl fidgeted, looked down at her hands, and finally admitted,  “I... suppose not.”

“Well then,” You said, waving her on, “Go talk to her!”

Unfortunately, as the girl’s eyes grew resolved and she finally stood up to go walk over, You looked back over at the table and realized Ruby and Hanamaru had both left already.

“Ahh... my luck fails me once again,” the girl whined, crumpling back down with her head in her hands.

You resisted a small giggle at the dramatics. “Hey, don’t sweat it. You’re in their class, right? Just try then.”

“But I’m... in the presence of so many mortal souls, my energy levels are sapped and my tongue is rendered stone-”

“You get nervous in crowds? Hn, guess that would make it tricky...” You leaned back on her hands, looking up at the ceiling. Then, with a smile, she said, “Well, how about I help you figure out a good way to approach her? You might feel more confident with a plan!”

The girl blinked, then burst into an eager, helpless grin. “Y-You’d help me? Really?” 

“Sure! Why not?” It wasn’t like she had all that much to do with Chika gone, and this girl seemed nice enough. It’d suck if she never worked up the nerve to talk to Hanamaru just because she was shy.

Her underclassman stuck out a hand, her grin growing even larger and more toothy. “A contract, then! Between I, the fallen angel Yohane, and...?”

You did laugh a little bit there - she couldn’t help it, Yohane’s enthusiasm was contagious - and took the offered hand, saluting with her other one. “You Watanabe! Glad we could strike a bargain, Yohane.” 


End file.
